What Could Have Been
by Icarium
Summary: In this AU version of season 3 Buffy and Kendra have managed to stake Angel, Spike and Dru. A few months later Tara transfers to Sunnydale High and joins the Scooby Gang. Jenny is alive and kicking. Willow/Tara, Giles/Jenny, Xander/Cordelia.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** What Could Have Been

**Timeline:** AU S3

**Pairings:** Willow/Tara, Xander/Cordelia, Giles/Jenny

**Disclaimer:** The characters are property of Mutant Enemy, FOX and other companies. In other words, they aren't mine.

**Summary:** What if Tara had come to study at Sunnydale High in the beginning of Season 3?

**Chapter 1**

It really had been a tolerable summer, considering the circumstances, Rupert Giles mused. The weather, for the most part had been just fine - not too hot, not too dry. He looked through the window of his apartment. The deceptive charm of Sunnydale managed to impress him once again. The golden disk of the sun was very close to hiding beyond the horizon and its light was bathing the street. A young couple was passing nearby, holding hands. The boy was so busy whispering (Giles assumed) compliments in the ear of his beloved that he almost collided into a tree. Giles felt a stab of jealousy but he also wished the two would get inside soon and preferably not inside a public building. For all its beauty, a sunset had another, ominous meaning for a Watcher – vampire time,

Love and vampires, huh? He really had to find a way to steer his thoughts to a more pleasant place, the Angelus affair having left him with, to put it mildly, a bitter taste, when it came to mixing relationship with vampire hunting. So he decided to finally check his mail, something which he had stubbornly neglected to do in the past few days. Yes, rebel without a clue was one way of putting it but one's habits could only take as much spam…He reached for a letter at random and shock and horror! It did not look like a leaflet eulogising this or that vacuum cleaner, dishwashing liquid or the horror of horrors, a deity. Yes, Sunnydale had not only branches of all the major churches in America, many driven to a frenzy by glimpsing and trying to rectify without understanding much the monstrosities that happened here, but it had a few unique sects of its own. The fact that some of the demons these idiots had chosen to worship actually existed for sure unlike other more well known gods that Giles could mention, certainly wasn't an excuse to post leaflets drenched pig blood in _his_ mailbox!

So this letter – it looked like it had traveled a long way, stains and stamps being all over it. But enough guessing – Giles opened it impatiently and started to read it.

_Dear Rupert,_

_I hope you remember me. No, I know you remember me. It was a long time ago but there are things one does not forget. Like finding out that one of their fellow students is a witch. At Oxford, no less. Don't these people have standards any more? Ah, if it wasn't for the Armada's failure the Inquisition would have shown them how to chase witches!_

_Yes, Rupert, it's really me – Laura. I lost track of you after you dropped out. I remember that you always resented your destiny. Not being a Watcher but having a destiny decided for you by your family. I don't blame you but you could have stayed in touch, you know?_

_But that's all water under the bridge. I heard you are doing great and have really gotten control of that destiny thing. I can just picture you wondering how I learned all that and your address, too. Well, I have traveled around the world expanding my knowledge of the world of magic and occult. I met many witches, shamans and demon hunters. Recently, I traveled to the jungles of Guatemala, trying to track a long-lost artifact. I failed but I came across Kendra, the Vampire Slayer. She stumbled across me while I was trying to set a vampire on fire with magic, so we could drop the masquerade and talk._

_I asked her if she knew of a Watcher named Giles and imagine my joy when she said that not only she knew you but she had actually met you recently. She told me about the dark power she helped you battle. Incredible story – two Slayers against such a powerful foe! Kendra also told me how impressed she was by your Slayer's friends and their willingness to assist her in her duties. And this really got me thinking._

_I have a daughter who is almost eighteen. She has been a taught a lot about magic by me and her Grandma but the quiet town where we live hasn't really given her more opportunities to put them to practice. I have only taken her on two of my trips to exotic places, despite her pleas and pouts. During my trips I have come across some rather nasty creatures and managed to dispose of quite a few of them. I might also have exaggerated my heroics in my stories for her and the result is that Tara views me as some sort of a superhero. I keep telling her that I have had to use local help in all but few of my feats but still I am afraid she might run away from home and become…I don't know what exactly. A rogue demon hunter?_

_To make matters worse she is very shy and has led a sheltered life. But just like her mother, she can be very stubborn. So I am afraid, I will have to ask you for a big favour. Kendra's story assures me that you can deal with teen girls. Your Slayer's group of young friends might also become the friends my girl desperately needs. Yes, I know that Sunnydale is a very dangerous place to live but sometimes in life one has to take huge risks. I can't hide her under my metaphorical bed forever. I know it's very presumptuous of me to ask but would you be willing to consider allowing my daughter into your life for a few months and showing her that fighting evil isn't as romantic as it sounds? The other option would be to take her on of my journeys but usually I spent most of them being an anthropologist (my not so secret job), plus she needs to finish school first. If you are willing to consider the possibility, please write to…and I will be come with the little angel in tow. If not, I will come alone and with one less present for you. I am dying to see you but there is still some unfinished business here with the vampire nests. _

_Your long lost but loving friend,_

_Laura Maclay_

_Well, I will be damned! _Giles was finding it terribly hard to comprehend this letter. Laura Maclay? Talk about a pleasant surprise. They had spent so much time together in Oxford talking about history, politics and everything or just having fun at the endless succession of parties which the life of every student becomes at one point or another (if they know what's best for them). But she was – finding about her magic skills had been a shock. Sure, he knew how to do spells as a part of his Watcher skills but she had a natural affinity for magic. Plus, she had enjoyed spells more than him even before the Eyghon insanity had put him off magic altogether until he met Buffy.

Laura had a child? Okay, "who is the father" had indeed been one of the first thoughts that crossed Giles's mind but not because he felt any jealousy. Their relationship hadn't been romantic. It had been such a shame that by the time Giles had resumed his studies in Oxford, Laura had gone somewhere else for her master's degree. He probably could have found out where but back then he had felt so ashamed and guilty that in a way he had punished himself by immersing himself fully into his studies and not getting close to any living soul for almost a decade. Well, except for one cat…

He didn't have to think long about Laura's unusual request. His experience with Buffy has shown clearly that trying to convince people that something is too dangerous usually only fueled their desire to explore or even worse, rush to defeat the danger without a proper plan. Without the support from him and her friends Buffy would have been long dead by now, despite her formidable superpowers and admirable determination. This Tara must either learn the value of teamwork or be scared enough by Sunnydale's horrors so that she chose a different, safer life path like being a sapper or a writer hell bent on killing the characters his fans love. He was going to make sure her mother had a clear idea of Sunnydale too as descriptions could be deceiving. Giles himself had almost fallen prey to a vampire in his first days near the Hellmouth.

He remembered how nervous he had been in his early days here, wondering if this Buffy Summers would ever accept him as her Watcher. And now Sam Zabuto and Kendra had praised him so much that he was going to see a long lost friend! It was hard not to feel a bit of pride of a job well done. Then he thought of Buffy and corrected himself - _mostly_ _well done_. He should never have allowed her to date Angel. So many victims because of that idiotic curse but also because he and Buffy had been fools. Damned gypsies!

The front door opened, stopping his train of thought before it had reached the darkest tunnels of self-flagellation. Well, life had its pleasant sides too.

"Hi, honey, I am home!" The voice was dripping with irony but also had more than enough tingles of affection to send tingles down Giles's spine. He turned around and smiled at the newcomer.

"Jenny! You startled me. I thought you were going to teach Willow magic?" he stepped forward and gave the dark-haired woman a kiss. She laughed, pulled back from his hug and put the bag she was carrying on the ground.

"Rupert, you really need to control yourself. A few hours without me and you turn into one of my students. Patience, England, patience." But Jenny's tone suggested that she was more flattered than annoyed by Giles's actions. Many men would have backed down from Jenny's teasing way of communicating but for Giles this was merely one the many things he adored about her. Let's see - her smile, her eyes, her wit, her stubbornness, her…

"Are you even listening to me? I said we have the evening all to ourselves. Willow doesn't really need my help with magic much these days. Buffy's still sulking and doesn't want anyone with her on her patrols. I almost pity the vamps she might encounter. So, barring an apocalypse, we can go out…or stay in?"

_How does she do it? Making everything sounds that dirty. And hot._ "I…I think it would be nice to go for a dinner. I have something important to tell you. But later I see some definite staying in. Here or your place?" This day just kept getting better and better…

* * *

**A/N: **_The general idea of this story is to keep the spirit of BTVS's high school seasons, keep Jenny Calendar alive and explore what might have happened if Tara was to come study at Sunnydale High. Angel and Spike are gone for good as I don't have any interest in human-vampire romance. The rest of the Scooby gang will get their chance to shine but I don't plan writing too much from Buffy's PoV, the show explored that quite thoroughly, so I'd rather concentrate on the sidekicks. I hope you enjoyed the start of the story._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Willow was not happy. Not happy at all. She had planned it all so perfectly and this is what happened? She needed it, right now. Yes, now, not tomorrow, not next week and not the next millennium! She had to have her pagan green blouse!

Okay, it wasn't really pagan as much ordinary light green blouse with a tree embroidered on it. For some reason that Willow couldn't really recalled right now, she had decided that the blouse had magical, witch-y vibe to it. Part of her knew this was stupid – certainly witches didn't need special clothes to do magic and Miss Calendar usually looked much more techno than pagan but another part of her brain had latched onto the idea this was just the blouse for a young woman on the path to taming the forces of magic. Also, she looked cool wearing it, even Xander had noted that.

And today was the big day. Willow was finally going to meet a genuine witch and just as importantly she was going to meet a teenage witch-in-training too. Well, that is if she didn't count Amy's mom and Ethan Rayne but they were evil and not exactly role model material. Willow wanted a role model. Role models made things simpler. Squeezing all the possible information from Giles and Miss Calendar and poring through all the available books about magic was only going to get her that far, she wanted to make the next step. And do it while wearing the pagan green blouse.

But alas, this was impossible. Her mother had for once decided to do the laundry, instead of leaving Willow or the hired help to do it. But finding out there were too few dirty clothes she had taken a bunch of perfectly clean clothes and washed them too. Including the desired blouse, of course. And how come there was no spell to dry clothes instantly, Willow wondered. Maybe tiny rings of fire around the blouse would do the trick? _No, forget the blouse! Just put something on, this is not a fashion show, you idiot! Maybe the purple hat would be sufficiently witchy? Or it should be a pointy hat? No, that's a stupid cliché…_

This just wasn't right, Tara decided. The town was too mundane to be a den of evil. Even a den of evil in disguise should have been, somewhat, well fake looking. But somehow Sunnydale looked perfectly normal and seemed to be thriving. How was that possible? Her mother had tried to explain it with people's capacity to ignore inconvenient facts but Tara was not sure. This was like some horror story, where it's convenient for the plot the people to remain ignorant about the monsters lurking around. Or maybe it was like Stephen King's _It_ where something forced the town residents to ignore all the murders? Maybe it was a side effect of the town being next to the Hellmouth? She knew that there were vampires and demons all over the world and yet few people believed in their existence but her mother had told her that here there was even a demon bar! Why did the Slayer allowed that?

She sighed. She hadn't come here to tell the Slayer how to do her job, quite the opposite in fact. She had to see for herself how people dealt with supernatural threats on a regular basis. Tara knew her own limitations and didn't really fancy herself a future lone avenger or a bringer of justice unless she had choice but to stand alone and fight. But she really wanted to help people fight evil. So she turned towards the driver's seat and gave her mother a peck on the cheek.

"Thank you so much again, Mom. I know how hard it must be for you to let me stay in this crazy town. I will be very, no, not very – e-extremely careful. I will try to stay indoors as much as possible and stick to helping out with magic and research," she said with a crooked smile and a mischievous glimmer in her eyes.

"Yes, you will young lady. I will make sure of it. I will have Rupert put a detection spell on you, so he will know if you decide to go for a night walk though the cemetery or an orgy with some frat boys." Her mother's smile faltered and she used the red traffic light to look at Tara, obviously trying once again to impart how serious all this was and how Tara had to be as responsible and careful as the person in charge of a nuclear power plant. Tara tried to look as responsible as possible. How did one do that anyway? She thought of Mrs. Jones, the stuffiest bore of her teachers and tried to pull off her best "Responsibility is my middle name" look. Might as well have tried to ride a lightning, judging by her mother's face. Okay then, she wasn't a good liar anyway and sometimes simplicity and honesty were the best policy. Tara reached out and squeezed her mother's arm reassuringly, dropping all pretences for humour.

"I will be careful, Mom," she said solemnly, "I really will. I-I know what it is to think that every time the phone rings this might mean the worst news possible. No, no, I d-don't blame you for going to distant lands and doing what you do, I am just saying I have learned to trust that you will make it back in one piece, Mom. I don't want to make you hear that dreadful phone call, ever. N-not even in your dreams." by now Tara's eyes were brimming with tears and she was starting to really wonder whether this Sunnydale experience was such a good idea. But then she pictured Janey, and then the people whom her mother had saved during her adventures, the many potential victims that could be saved by her helping kill even a few vampires. Her mother was fighting tears too but Tara was surprised to find out that there was something else. She couldn't be sure because she was looking at her from the side but she looked almost proud. Proud of her? Surely not, the speech was so childish?

A few minutes later they finally reached their destination – the apartment of this Rupert Giles fellow. Unless her mother had taken the wrong turn at Albuquerque, of course. She had declined her friend's offer to meet them at the LA airport and instead had followed the direction he had reluctantly given her. Tara wondered if she had also used a locating spell as some sort of cheat but this was very unlikely, her mother took childish pride in her orientation skills and had bored quite a few guests with her stories about how she had found her way flawlessly in some jungle or other.

"This is it!" Laura Maclay proclaimed with a tone that would have been a lot more fitting if she had found Noah's Arc. She parked the car and took Tara to the small courtyard in front of the apartment. She reached for the doorbell, then froze and turned to Tara.

"How do I look? Rupert hasn't seen me in like 25 years, you know. Does my age show?" she sighed.

Tara contemplated her answer carefully. "You look good to me but you could always make yourself look like a twenty year old with a simple spell," she said wearily. What was going on? Her mother had told her that she and "Rupert" had been just friends, hadn't she? Hadn't she? Yes, she surely had, an inner voice quickly assured. So what was the problem?

"You really think I should…ah, sarcasm. Well played, young lady, well played, I just want his impression to be negative. But Rupert can't be that shallow. In fact, for a while back then when I met him I wondered if he might be gay."

"Too much information, Mom! Ring the bell already, please."

She did. The door opened and a fortyish looking man with glasses appeared. He gazed at Laura and his expression changed from detached polite interest to pure joy. _I guess she does look good, indeed._ _And he does look more like a librarian than a Watcher. When can I see his book collection? _

Willow couldn't keep her arms under control. They were moving around, as if possessed, exploring the couch and the table. If fidgeting were an Olympic discipline Willow reckoned she would have had a shot at winning a medal but this conclusion did nothing to calm her down. She sighed and once again tried to concentrate on the book in front of her. Books were nice. They didn't care if you were nervous or not. They didn't care if your hat made you look silly or your lack of hat made you look silly. _Stop thinking about hats! _

_Okay, calm down, Will. You have helped save the world, surely you can at least bridle your stupid enthusiasm, right? _She resumed reading. It was a book about The Thirty Years War but Giles had added some notes about the suspected demon activity in that conflict. Willow smiled. So typical of Giles to mix work with pleasure. A vengeance demon was thought to have caused Gustavus Adolphus's death? What was a vengeance demon, she wondered. Sounded dangerous. And intriguing. Willow turned to Giles, intending to ask him about these vengeance demons but then the bell rang.

Willow's heart skipped a few beats. Okay, this was getting ridiculous. Her best friend was a genuine superhero, so what was with the nerves? Besides, it was probably just Xander. Or rather Xander and Cordelia all happy and in love. Not that there was anything wrong with Xander being happy.

Willow tried to be all casual when she glanced at the doorway. Seeing unfamiliar faces, she had an urge to bury her head in the book again, at least figuratively, but thought better of it. This woman is a friend of Giles's, after all, not some world renowned celebrity. So she steeled herself and went to greet the newcomers.

The older lady had to be Laura Maclay. She was a bit different from what Willow had expected. She was dressed casually – beige coloured jeans, white shirt and sneakers. As far as looking gothic and mystical went she was in the same category as say Xander. _So it turns out I didn't need the pagan blouse. Thanks, Mom. _Laura's hair was blonde and reached down to her shoulders, her blue eyes were full of joy as she smiled at Giles. He looked delighted too, his own smile fighting his usual calm detachment and apparently losing.

"Jenny, Willow, let me introduce you – this is Laura Maclay, an old friend of mine. This must be Tara, which needless to say is her daughter but I think you know this already"

Oh, yes, Jenny was here too. She wasn't one for jealousy, so she gracefully welcomed the guests, got them comfortable on their armchairs and struck a conversation with Laura. Willow mumbled some greetings and finally turned her attention to Tara. She had been excited about this girl too and right now she felt a bit stupid for her role model nervousness. Here was someone who had come all the way to learn from the Scoobs how to fight evil and all she had thought about was trying to learn the Way of the Witch from her and her mother.

"Um, hello there. I am Willow…wait, I think you already knew that. I am a friend of Buffy's. I really hope you like your stay here. We can show you how to fight evil and how to have fun, sometimes even both at the same time. Yes, much fun is to be had in Sunnydale. But you are not here to have fun, I guess, I am sorry. Unless you want to be having fun and killing bad guys is your favourite leisure activity. No, Giles didn't mention anything like that. He said…oh, shoot me, I tend to talk much when I am nervous."

Willow beamed an apologetic smile in Tara's direction. The newcomer's nervousness was palpable – she even tried to hide her face behind the curtain of her hair but Willow's own nervousness seemed to encourage Tara to come out of her shell a bit. She returned Willow's smile with a crooked grin of her own. It was as if the sun had broken through the clouds. Willow's own uneasiness evaporated. Tara's eyes were blue like her mother's but her hair was darker – the colour of darkened gold, almost brown. Her skin was pale, although not as pale as Willow's own. Some demanding observer might have remarked that Tara's ears were too big and her lips a bit too prominent on her face but Willow just registered these features subconsciously. She decided that Tara was sort of pretty but more importantly she seemed like a kindred spirit. Interested in magic, rather shy, obviously not bothering to follow the fashion trends.

"T-that, that's totally fine. My mother does that too. Although she talks too much not only when she is nervous," Tara answered, the mirth in her voice betraying her obvious affection for her mother. "And yes, I would l-like to have some fun in Sunnydale. I hope there no vampires on the beach at least?"

"No. Well, at least not unless you try to have a midnight swim. But once we had a fish monsters problem. The coach of the swimming team fed too much steroids to some students…it's a long story" Willow concluded noting Tara's incredulous look. "So, I hear you know magic" she queried, trying to sound nonchalant. _Smooth, Rosenberg, very smooth. Why don't you just beg her to teach you something?_

"I have studied magic since I was little. But…I-I" Tara tried again to hide her face behind her hair.

"I am sorry, I shouldn't have asked, you will tell us more about your magic skills later when everybody is here" Willow replied, somewhat annoyed by her own meekness. But she wanted to make the girl feel as comfortable as possible. No use rushing with the questions.

"N-no, it's not you, Willow," Tara looked at her pleadingly. "It's just that when it comes to casting spells I am not too quick, so I wonder if I would be of any use in a battle. And you must have noticed that I tend to s-stutter when I am n-nervous, so saying the right incantation fast gets all the more difficult."

Willow was stunned by Tara's expression, she looked as if she was ready to burst into tears. She reached forward and caught the girl's hand reassuringly.

"You thought we wanted you here for your battle prowess? Tara, no! Buffy does most of the fighting, the rest of us mostly help with research and supporting tasks. Do I look like a fighting champion to you? Willow Rosenberg, champion of the world in geekdom, maybe. Fighting champion, not so much. And please, don't underestimate yourself that much. Spells can be a real lifesaver, sometimes in battle too. We once had to use a spell to cast out an ancient demon who had invaded the Internet, so that we could finish him off by defeating his robotic avatar. Another long story," she hastily added upon Tara's curious glance in her direction. But curious was much preferable to sad, so Willow guessed her little speech had hit the target.

"T-t-thank you, Willow. I just n-never feel useful. So few people know about demons and vampires that it seems to me everyone who knows should contribute to the good fight and I haven't done that. Would you like me to teach you magic? If I can, that is, mother told me Mr. Giles has an extensive collection of books about magic and being a Watcher he probably is a good mentor."

"I'd love that. Giles doesn't like teaching me magic too much. Miss Calendar does but she says I am a lot more talented than her, plus having around someone my own age with whom to practice sounds terrific. I…actually thought about trying to convince your mother to teach me but this seems like a better option. Will she be staying here for a while, by the way?"

"A few days. I think she and Mr. Giles have a lot to catch up with," Tara said, grinning. "And there is my transfer to your school and finding a place for me to live in."

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that. I am sure Giles would be delighted to have you stay here, though, if you'd rather not live alone. Not that we wouldn't visit you all the time", Willow added. "Especially if you have cable."

"I-I think I am intruding enough on you and Mr. Giles already. It's a very nice apartment, though", Tara added hastily when she noticed that Giles had overheard the last bits of the conversation and looked ready to say something along the lines of "Nonsense, it would be no trouble at all". His move was preempted, though.

"You can also stay with me, if you like, Tara." Miss Calendar said. "But it's your mother's call. Let me just say that I make a wicked lasagna and my apartment is closer to Sunnydale High than Rupert's. He has a much better book collection, but I must warn you, he will have a stroke if you so much as crease a page."

Tara smiled in gratitude at her. Willow suspected that the girl was a bit overwhelmed by all those strangers being so helpful and nice to her. _We don't bite, we have enough vampires for that. Well, Oz does bite but only three nights per month._

Tara's mother handled the situation gracefully – she thanked both Giles and Miss…Jenny (she insisted Willow call her that but old habits died hard) and said she and Tara were going to stay at a hotel at first, see for themselves the situation in Sunnydale and then decide. She came to ask Willow some questions about her magical proficiency and seemed pleased with Willow's answers. _Idiot, this isn't a test. Relax._ Then she went back to reminiscing about the old days with Giles. Jenny and Willow were enthralled – Giles wasn't one to overshare, to put it mildly and this woman was a pretty good storyteller.

"So one time me and Rupert found ourselves facing almost insurmountable odds. You see, the forces of darkness had cornered us and they were out for our blood. The situation was dire until we came up with a plan to use my magical talents. It was not easy but after a lot of divination, throwing of bones and casting complicated spells, I got it. I bought the right lottery ticket, so we could get some money and pay the tab from our favourite pub."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

It was almost unreal. It wasn't supposed to be like that – things should have been worse or at least equal to Tara's expectations, not better. This wasn't some fairy tale, after all. But so far the day had been just perfect. She had met all those strangers without blushing or stuttering too much and they had all been so incredibly nice to her and her mother. Maybe some hell beast was going to attack her in the evening to compensate for all that. Or this was just your average evening on the Hellmouth? What counted as real trouble here?

Anyway, possible karmic retribution aside, she found herself often grinning happily along the way to the local magic shop. Willow, the redhead who had done so much to break the ice at first, looked positively ecstatic and her enthusiasm was infectious.

"Too bad the Buff didn't want to come with us. She so needs to have some fun. You can't beat depression by acting all depressed all the time, you know? Right, Will?"

This boy was kind of odd, Tara decided. Not the bad kind of odd, just, you know, not mundane. Then again these people were anything but mundane, she reminded herself. A normal person wouldn't even believe vampires existed, let alone risk his life to fight them. Or maybe she just thought so because of the name – Xander. Rather odd.

Whatever the reason, he just seemed a bit flippant about everything. But Tara suspected this was mostly sarcasm and he wasn't really taking everything as a joke. He and Willow seemed really relaxed together, so much so that even if they hadn't told her about the length of their friendship, she would have most likely guessed that.

"You can't snap out of serious depression just like that, Xander. I read a lot about that this summer. I even asked my mother. She said everyone copes with depression differently. Of course, maybe she says so because otherwise she wouldn't have a reason to charge them two hundred bucks an hour but still, you know Buffy can't just decide to stop being sad and grumpy. You and I weren't in such great shape when we were in a similar situation, remember?"

Similar situation? Willow had lost a boyfriend too? Wait, what about Xander then? Maybe he had been friends with said boyfriend. Life could be so cruel. Tara wondered if she should add something to the conversation but decided against it. For now she was going to listen much and say little. As she pretty much always did.

"I know that, Will. I am afraid she is making things even worse, that's all. Fun is to be had if we are to have a happy Buffy again." His tone had become much more serious. "But there is nothing we can do about that right now and Tara her is probably a bit bored by this talk about Buffy anyway"

"N-no, I wish I could help Buffy too. She seemed so sad," Tara said, picturing the person in question. Buffy had seemed so frail and small. Yet she had also been really determined to do everything she can to save as many people as possible. She had interrogated Tara about her knowledge of vampires, especially the ways to avoid being eaten by them and after finding out that Tara had done her homework had brightened up a bit. Still, she had only let them go out after checking if each of them had a cross and a stake. Never mind that it was a rather sunny day. Tara had found this over-protectiveness somewhat scary but also kind of cool.

"Maybe you _can_ help," Willow sounded rather pleased with her idea. "See, you joining our group is a cause for celebration, so maybe we can convince Buffy to have something of a party tonight. At The Bronze - it's the place to go if one wants to have fun in this town. Plus, it's unfortunately a favourite hunting spot for the vampire community, so we can sell it as, I don't know, "Slay and Dance" kind of thing?"

"A p-party for me? Willow! You really shouldn't go that far, you and X-xander and the rest have already been way too kind to me. But if you really think it could help Buffy, then it's okay. Just promise you won't make me dance," mumbled Tara hastily, prompting smiles to appear on the faces of Xander and Willow.

"Willow wasn't much into dancing either. But Oz - her ex-boyfriend, was really stubborn and after much nagging and clumsiness in her initial attempts she learned to enjoy it. Nowadays almost none of the patrons point and laugh when Will hits the dance floor"

"Hey, you aren't all that graceful of a dancer either, mister," Willow retorted. "And anyway, The Bronze crowd never notices anything at all, including a vampire attack. But don't you worry, Tara, no one is going to make you dance if you don't want to. I will probably occupy your attention all by myself with questions about magic, if you don't stop me."

_I love their banter. Too bad I am rather bad at this except with Mom and she is usually such an easy target. Still, I will try to be fun too._

"So you are s-saying that if Willow can learn to dance, anyone can?" Wait, maybe this was too much, maybe Willow would feel insulted. "Not that Willow is a klutz or anything, I was just joking," Tara added hurriedly, just in case.

"Pretty much," Xander said. "But let me warn you, once Willow sets her mind on something, she does it, no ifs, no buts. So it's more like anyone with a steely determination can learn. Maybe she can even show you some moves, she loves teaching. When Miss Calendar was sick once Willow took over her classes because our Hitleresque headmaster would rather not pay a replacement teacher."

"It was nothing, I just like computers and Jenny had left me perfect lesson plans. Best part was when I sent that vapid fashionista Harmony to have a word with the principal. Almost had to send Xander after her since he refused to recognize my authority," Willow added, her eyes twinkling.

"Come on Will, if they put me there as a teacher, you and Buffy would probably giggle and talk all class long because you know I'd always indulge you. Or not show up at all. Of course, the only subject I could possibly teach is "How to avoid going on a date with a demon", so fat chance for this happening, even if all the teachers get sick at once."

"When I was l-little I wanted to become a teacher," Tara replied. "Now I am not so sure. I like kids but so many of them would probably overwhelm me. And, t-there is the s-stutter problem," she continued, blushing and almost cursing herself for mentioning it. Willow and Xander looked a bit crestfallen, so she hastened to add "I-it's okay, really. I d-don't want to hide it, if you have to pretend not to notice it things will be uncomfortable for all of us, I think."

"Well, if you learn sign language you can teach to kids who are hearing impaired," Xander managed to find refuge in a joke but the sympathy in his eyes and those of Willow looked genuine. Not that Tara had doubted that but it was nice to see it for sure. Still, considering that they had told her that one of their friends was apparently a werewolf, it was not really likely that they would be petty enough to make fun of her stutter. She had been worried for nothing. Oh, well. Still, it was amazing that Willow had actual teaching experience. Not as amazing as her fighting demons, obviously, but impressive nevertheless.

"I sometimes have nightmares in which I teach a class and suddenly I start stammering," Willow said. "still, I prefer that one to the ones where I have to sing on stage and the audience throws rotten eggs at me. Especially if I am naked in it…"

Tara felt a bit silly for laughing but Willow's forlorn expression was just priceless. Partly sincere emotion and partly obvious overacting had made the girl's green eyes look huge, her lower lip was raised so much that the effect was more that of a pout than genuine sadness. Her right hand was fiddling nervously with a strand of her hair but after seeing Tara's good mood, Willow brightened up too.

"S-sorry, it's just that misery loves company, you know, and you don't seem too bothered by your nightmares, adorable pouting notwithstanding." Willow tried to look offended but burst into laugher instead. "Still, I can't return the favour, Willow, I love singing and I don't really have nightmares about singing. Although, you know, maybe I should because failure to sing well would be even more humiliating for someone who considers herself a good singer," Tara wondered.

"Oh, I get it. Your mother mentioned that your dad is an opera singer, you probably take after him. Must be nice," Xander said.

"Dad is just a nomad at heart. He would work in an opera or a bar or whatever, one day he is in LA then on a whim he decides he has to see Manila or Prague so he goes and finds a job there. Somehow he always lands a singing gig…unless he is lying and sometimes has to wash dishes or something," Tara giggled.

"Your mother is quite the adventure-minded traveler as well, from what I heard. How about you? I am thinking about a trip across America after graduation but Cordelia, Buffy and Willow think I am crazy. If you feel like following Mom and Dad's footsteps consider yourself invited, Think about it, seriously. If you decide to stay in Sunnydale until graduation, of course," Xander said.

"T-thank you, Xander. I will consider your offer, although I think life here is Sunnydale should be quite adventurous too. Maybe a boring trip would be what we will really want next summer."

"I didn't say you were crazy. I just think road trips are boring, especially if you have to drive."

"That's because you drive like my grandma, Will,"

"Well, cars hate me. Or I am cursed with bad driving skills. I should be good, I read all the manuals and guides I could find. I had three different instructors, plus Mom, Dad, Giles and Jenny trying to help teach me and driving is still much like riding wild bronco. I even tried playing car racing games on my computer as a sort of practice but it didn't help."

_There is that pout again. So adorable._

Lost in their conversation they almost passed by the magic shop. A big sign on top of the building, saying "Magic Box" got their attention just in time. It was a rather big structure for a magic shop but Willow had assured her that this type of business was absolutely thriving in Sunnydale._ Why am I not surprised?_

"Huh, last time I was here the sign wasn't nearly as conspicuous. It wasn't called "Magic Box" either. Was the owner murdered again?"

Surely Willow was joking. Then she went inside, determined impression on her face, apparently eager to find out about the changes. Xander shrugged and followed her with Tara closely behind him.

The thing that struck her were the brightly coloured label and price tags. They were _big_ and they were _everywhere_. She stepped to look closer at a shelve and explore the odd labels. Some were for items with a temporarily slashed price. Other for "buy one, get two" type of deals. Tara was used to seeing such labels in supermarkets, not quaint little magic shops. In her (rather limited) experience, people who sold occult stuff loved bargaining and would rather do a curse on the most annoying clients than bother to put proper labels on their merchandise. A female voice, sounding rather excited, broke her musings.

"Hello, potential buyers! Welcome to the Magic Box. Please spend as much money as possible – this is America, and of the reckless spending, so you know the first rule – reckless buying is patriotic. And no refunds, you hear? I am Anya, by the way."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Jenny Calendar was content. Yes, content, that was a good way to describe the feeling. Although happy wasn't a bad way either but it sounded a bit melodramatic. "Ooh, I am so happy, my life is awesome" – ugh! Not that she didn't enjoy a bit of melodrama in her life but for now content was going to suffice.

Her thoughts flashed back to the awful time when Angel had turned evil. She was still angry at her family for not telling her why exactly she was supposed to watch Angel. Okay, her mother's side of the family, to be precise, the rest didn't have a clue about magic and vampires and all that jazz but still, a lot of people to be mad at. Their foolish lust for vengeance at all cost had led to so many deaths, including that of Uncle Enyos. She almost wished Angel had concentrated on the Kalderash clan instead of the innocent people of Sunnydale. A horrible thought, Jenny knew, but she couldn't help it.

She had made sure to inform the clan members that for her they were as good as dead. She knew she shouldn't have accepted their money back then, with her mother being rather estranged from her family already, but the chance to get a degree from a prestigious university had proved too tempting. Not surprisingly years later they had shown up, demanding a favour in return, Don Corleone style, as she had joked back then. Right now, the joke didn't seem all that funny.

Anyway, the important thing was that this was all behind her. Her mother had supported her decision to cut ties with the Kalderash. Jenny liked her job, while Buffy and her friends more than made up for the loss of some annoying relatives. And Rupert was just…

"You really think the Asturian codex can be found? Most scholars agree it was lost in a fire centuries ago."

_Here we go again. _Not long after the youngsters had left Rupert had somehow successfully managed to steer the conversation from the days of his wild youth (he was _so_ going to be forced to tell more about his motorcycle adventures later, Jenny vowed) to his favourite subject of all time, rare books. It was kind of cute, actually. And things certainly could have been so much worse. He might have been obsessed with Star Trek or conspiracy theories or following the latest fashion trends.

"I do and when I find it you will be the first to know." Laura's reply was almost smug.

"I don't think that is very likely but if you happen to succeed that would be great. So many Watcher diaries are lost and this codex is the only known source that describes in detail the magic rituals used to help Slayers all those centuries ago. It is claimed they could greatly boost the natural healing abilities of their Slayer, making her almost impervious."

"Sounds almost too good to be true." Jenny's interest was piqued because the book in question seemed more than just a bibliophile's dream. Buffy was a superb Slayer and Kendra wasn't half-bad either but the bad guys only needed to get lucky once.

"Well, it could be a legend but in the winter I am going to Peru and among other thing I will try to follow a lead I have on the Codex."

"Peru? Ridiculous! Did the sages of Atlantis bring it to America?"

"Don't be rude, Rupert. I suspect that Laura is as much as a bookworm as you are and I gather that unlike you she isn't scared to death by computers. So I bet she has her reasons." Jenny could barely contain her laughter. It was sometimes a bit too easy to tease Rupert but she rarely could resist the opportunity to do so.

"No offence taken," Laura said. "In fact, Rupert being so blunt tells me we might be able to resume our friendship for real. We always argued back then. If I really had annoyed you, I suspect you would have been icily courteous, wouldn't you? And Jenny, funny you should mention computers. In this particular case I got the lead from the Internet."

"I see. So when are we going to collect the Codex then? The great Beast that's called Internet is never wrong, I understand."

_Sarcastic as ever, my love._

"Very droll, dear, but your suspicion of the cyber world is getting ever more perfunctory. Why, a few times I even caught you using the library computer to surf the Internet! Don't tell me you were just looking for naughty pictures. More to the point, me and Willow have found plenty of useful info in the net, so you know all too well computers can be a force of good. Sure, most of the talk about the supernatural is nonsense but there are a few sites which can be quite enlightening, if one can find them. Like "A Rational Approach to Magic" – you need to prove you know what you are talking about but once you do, the people there are very helpful. I guess they are just happy they can discuss spells without people suspecting them of being lunatics. What?"

Laura was staring at her, an odd expression on her face. What, she didn't like discussing magic on the net and just used it to find rare books?

"I visit RAM often too. Quite a coincidence, isn't it? Although if someone asks me one more time how to do a love spell I might be tempted to devise a spell that would track them down and curse them with boils. What part of "we only offer advice on casting benevolent spells" can't those people understand? "I love her" isn't really an excuse for ignoring a person's free will. Idiots!"

Jenny was a bit taken aback by the sudden rant but after a short period of stunned silence she burst into laughter. Seconds later Rupert joined her, startling Jenny a bit. This day was proving to be an exciting one, that was for sure.

"Be happy if you have never been on the receiving end of a love spell. It's not all hugs and puppies, I can tell you that," Jenny said. "Although, on a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst the Hellmouth has thrown at us, that particular incident merits only about four points, if you ask me. If for nothing else then because for once nobody was killed." She had made sure to give Amy a harsh scolding, hoping the girl was going to be scared enough by her vague threats not to try any silly spells for some time. Recently Willow had informed her that Amy had lost much of her interest in magic after the love spell fiasco. That was good to hear but on the other hand teaching her to use magic properly could turn out to be a better idea. Jenny made a mental note to ask Willow about this possibility.

"Seems like you are all very proficient in using humor as a defense mechanism," Laura replied " Maybe I need to stay here longer, Sunnydale seems to have quite the morbid charm." Jenny wasn't sure if the woman was joking or not. But she was certainly right about the humor.

"Let us get back to that RAM thing. You are saying that you are both, er, familiar with the same…page? I thought there were millions of pages in that _cyberspace_. I once did a search with the word slayer and got tens of thousands of results. Many of them concenring some heavy metal band. " Rupert was picking his words carefully. Jenny wondered if he might be seeing himself as a brave explorer in the mad world of computers. Or maybe he was just trying not to make a fool of himself.

"You are right, it's not easy to find exactly what you are looking for in the net. But if you persevere and have a clear goal in mind, odds are you will come across the best pages. Well, most people call the places they visit on the net "sites" - they consist of webpages. I guess you can feel free to call them books. Or web-books. Anyway, RAM can be a lifesaver, especially if you lack a library full of volumes on magic. Someone even scanned and uploaded their collections of books, thankfully that time no demons were unleashed."

"It wasn't me, if that's what you are wondering about. I prefer giving specific advice. That way there is at least some small chance you might stop an overenthusiastic witch or a mage from doing something really stupid. Or so I hope. Why, I recently had someone sending me a private message asking about the possibility of giving back a vampire his soul! I told them I had never heard about such a spell but I was also a bit flattered that they had picked me instead of just posting the question in the restricted forum as usual."

_No! At which point coincidences start to seem creepy? Not there yet, I think, but we are getting dangerously close… _

Jenny stared at the floor, wondering what to say. Rupert was bound to connect the dots any second now, so why not just go and say it? It wasn't exactly an embarrassing secret, was it?

"Umm, so you must be "Jane Eyre" then. Nice to meet you, Jane, I go by "Inquisitive Soul". This world just keeps getting smaller, doesn't it? Please don't tell Rupert I asked about a love spell once too…just kidding."

_Yes, we do tend to abuse humor sometimes. Ah, well, better than alcohol or drugs, I guess._

"Busted. This is so exciting! First, I learn about Rupert by sheer chance, now it turns out me and his beloved sort of already know each other. What's next – a revelation that Tara's father is also Buffy's father?"

"I hope not but I will make sure to show you a picture of Buffy's father just in case. Can we get back to the more important issue, please," Rupert said, turning to face Jenny. He took off his glasses and began polishing them with a practiced move. "You were researching the possibility of restoring Angel's soul? Didn't you say that it would be a waste of time?"

"I didn't want to raise Buffy's hopes for nothing. I made my research back when you and me didn't get too well because of…you know. It confirmed my suspicions that the spell was lost. Or at least as good as lost for practical purposes. People were dying, so we couldn't really afford to lose time investigating the issue, could we?"

Her heart was beating rapidly but she looked resolutely into Rupert's eyes. A small part of her brain was wondering what Laura was making of their odd conversation. Rupert put on his glasses and spoke, picking his words carefully.

"I see. I can't say I am inclined to blame you, Buffy was finding it extremely hard to accept the finality of Angel's, umm, change as it was. I, of course, did a research of my own because back then I didn't trust you but I found nothing either. I guess your clan Elders kept the secret so well that today even their descendants don't know how to do that curse. Rather ironic twist of fate, I must say."

"Not my clan anymore." Jenny gritted her teeth, even if she knew well that Rupert was not exactly considering her a typical revenge-obsessed Kalderash.

"Excuse my interruption but this Angel would be the vampire that Kendra helped Buffy defeat, right? She was reluctant to tell me much and I was left with the impression of something important being left unsaid. I take it that it was a mental struggle for your Slayer as much as it had been a physical one. No, what I am saying – the _real_ struggle must have been in overcoming her own emotions. Poor Buffy! But why would you think it is possible for a vampire to recover his soul? And there was something about a clan? Unless it's all better left in the past, in which case you can just pretend I never asked."

Laura's curiosity was going to nag at her for long, if she didn't get an answer, Jenny suspected but she knew better than to push.

"No, it's all right. You see, we knew a vampire can get his soul back because it had already happened a century ago. When we met Angel he had had his soul for almost a century. He helped us and Buffy, she…she took a liking to him. Before she knew he was a vampire, if I may add. But what none of us knew was that the spell that had restored his capacity to decide whether to be good or bad had a catch. One moment of pure happiness and he was going to lose his soul again. The day this happened was the worst day of my life. Not only were we all in grave danger, with Buffy in particular experiencing the shock of her life but there was something else." Rupert looked at Jenny, looking for a sign that she would prefer that part of the story to remain untold. Not finding it, he continued his tale. "Jenny had come to Sunnydale to keep track of Angel. She is a descendant of the gypsy clan that had cursed Angel and she was told to make sure Angel suffered – nothing more. She learned the truth right before the worst happened and tried to get Angel away from town since around Buffy he had started to brood less than usual and show certain signs of happiness. But Fate intervened and Angel did lose his soul and went on a murder spree. Laura, you know how things ended since Kendra was there, so I don't need to say more".

"As you can imagine, Rupert and Buffy were none too happy about my betrayal of their trust. But on the Hellmouth it's hard to hold a grudge for long. I am still very mad at my family, though. Playing me for a fool is one thing, their extreme stupidity leading to many innocent people dying is quite another." Rupert sensed that this was his cue to take one of Jenny's hand and hold it between his own, caressing her gently in an attempt to soothe her. He knew how painful the subject was for her.

"Fascinating. Almost like a modern fairy-tale but with an extremely cruel twist. I will try not to broach the subject when Buffy is around and I thank you for confiding all this to me. But, putting my pointy hat back on, this spell presents such possibilities! Having to fight former friends or even acquaintances is what makes vampire slaying so much worse than slaying mundane demons. You have been there, so you know. But I am sure you also must know that there is a possibility that this spell only worked because of the loophole – certain spells only work through a delicate balancing act. For instance healing spells which draw from the vitality of the caster. And I think you called it a curse. Maybe it's impossible to do without adding a loophole. But I will look into the issue regardless of the small chance of success. I might be known as just Jane Eyre but I am inquisitive to a fault too." Laura ended up by winking at the startled Jenny.

"Right, thank you, Laura. I will make sure to tell you which sources do not contain any helpful information. It is a rather long list." Rupert looked at his watch. "I think it might be time to take a stroll and give you chance to look around Sunnydale. It's a charming town but fortunately it's not exactly a popular tourist destination, if it was the death toll would be even higher."

"I was sure you were going to rush Laura to your library to show her your precious books. Then again, you didn't mention the final destination of our walk, so it probably will be your holy of holies, after all. Anyway, just promise me we are going to stop for lunch first. Let's go. We will leave a note in case Tara, Willow and Xander come back looking for us."

"Well, I hope Tara won't come back running to mommy so soon," Laura joked. "It won't be easy but I think I will be able to put off my burning desire for Rupert's thick…volumes for a few hours. I am amazed you keep so many of them in the school library, though. Do they get checked out often?"

The three of them were almost ready to leave but Rupert was quick to reply despite being somewhat busy putting on his shoes.

"I keep most of them locked in my office. But yes, some I have included into the library collection itself. Not many a student venture into my small kingdom anyway, so those books don't draw much attention. Moreover, it's Sunnydale. The occult is a popular hobby, so even when someone comes across of tome describing magic rituals a reaction of interest is actually more likely than suspecting me of being crypto-Satanist. I have even had students asking me where they can find more books about the occult. Shall we?"

He straightened up, flashed his most charming smile and opened the door for them. Well, his tweed suit did make him look like an old-fashioned fashioned gentleman, so he was merely trying to be in character, Jenny decided. This walk was going to be fun!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_What the hell is going on in here?_ Okay, Willow hadn't exactly visited many magic shops but this seemed wrong on so many levels. People had to respect the forces of magic. _No, too cheesy._ The elemental forces then? The dignity of magic? The pointy hats and the wands? In any case, this new approach to trading magic paraphernalia struck her as rather distasteful. Almost sacrilegious, in fact.

Although, truth to be told, it had its advantages, too. Everything was neatly arranged, the labels almost disturbingly informative. Place of origin, general usage, even a short history of the product. Ah, eye of newt, the timeless classic! She checked the label: "Used for all kinds of spells, especially for detection of obfuscation purposes…First believed to be used by witches living in Ancient Greece." So one thing was certain – whoever was in charge here might be a crass materialist but they knew their magic.

This meant that the rude woman was probably the owner and was not merely working here. Willow had spent the last few minutes pointedly ignoring her and exploring the changes in the shop. Of course, rather than accept that, the woman had latched onto Xander and was trying to charm him into buying something. Tara, though, looked amused by the antics of the shop (maybe) owner. She seemed to try to divide her attention between looking at the shelves and keeping an eye on the conversation between this…what was it, Anya, and Xander.

"So, young man, do you dabble in magic? Or maybe it is a love potion that you are after? I doubt a guy like you would need such a thing but sometimes we women can be so unreasonable! Here we can offer you plenty of potions. Although if you are looking to charm one of those two ladies you should have come alone." The last remark was supposedly whispered but it seemed the woman was incapable of talking sotto voce, so Willow heard it quite clearly. And love potions? Did they really sell actual love potions here?

"Umm, I tried it once and decided this casting thing just isn't for me. And neither are love potions. But if you have some baubles that could be used as a gift for my girlfriend, I could be interested."

_Nice one, Xan_. Without bothering to look Willow could bet her friend was giving the shopkeeper his most charming smile. It was quite mature of him to not take advantage of the opportunity to flirt with her, Willow pondered. Or maybe he was afraid that Cordelia would learn about that? No, this couldn't be it. Those two enjoyed their spats too much for Xander to be afraid of her reaction even if did somehow learn about the hypothetical flirting.

"Fine, have it your way. No more suggestive talking. I hate sucking up to the buyers anyway. But you are honest, I like that. So I might even offer you a discount for these lovely porcelain figurines. We also have special candles for a night of steamy passion. Not only do they create a romantic atmosphere but the incense has an aphrodisiacal effect too. Two in one! Quite a bargain, don't you think?" The woman's voice had turned from flattering to positively chirpy. She was clearly more in her element when praising her products rather than her clients.

"Let me see the candles. Usually our romantic dinners are in the pizza place, so just about anything would be an improvement. Well, as long as I found some quality food. You wouldn't happen to sell magic food, too, would you?"

"Why, I can indeed offer you newts. Or frogs. Or delicious elephant blood! There is also -"

"Whoa, whoa! I was joking. But if I ever know someone who is after elephant blood, I will make sure to recommend them your shop."

"You'd better!"

_Okay, enough loitering around._ Willow came back to where Tara was standing, ignored Xander and the woman who seemed to have a lot of fun bickering.

"Ready to do what we actually came for? As amusing as Xander's gift from getting in trouble with women is, we have things to buy."

"Of-of course. Here is the list." Tara fumbled in her pocket and finally managed to extract it. She held it out in her hand, apparently expecting Willow take over from here.

"Umm, Tara, you don't need to follow my lead or anything. In these matters you are the mentor and I am the guide-e. Wait, I don't think "guidee" is an actual word. Please pretend I said apprentice or some non-made up word. Not that making up words isn't cool or anything, so you can call me guidee, if you want. Anyway, it's not as if I know the current setup of this shop any better than you, so let's go harass that rude woman a bit."

"Oh, I didn't mean you had to do everything…guidee. I am just not much into shopping, you know." She made for Anya's lair, that is to say the cash register, then turned around and flashed a hesitant smile at Willow. "I'd prefer to call you Willow. I like the sound of your name. Plus, if I was to call you apprentice or something like that it would feel like we are in school. Unless you'd want it to feel like we are in school?" Her face fell.

"No, madam mentor, I do not want it to be that official. As much as Buffy and Xander insist that only Giles likes learning as much as I do, I'd much rather we do it in a more relaxed way. Although I insist on lots of homework."

_I wonder if she will assume the last line is a joke. _Regardless,it did calm down Tara and so they finally made it to the cash register. This Anya had already managed to bamboozle Xander into buying a bunch of candles and was smiling like the cat who ate the canary. Well, if Cordelia was to be repelled by some disgusting incense, Willow certainly wasn't going to cry for her. And if Xander's romantic strategy worked, it was going to be for the good too, right? It was a matter of perspective and right now her spin on things tended to be quite positive.

"H-hello. We would like to buy some things. Here is the list, it would probably be faster if I just give it you and you check if you have the items is q-question."

The shopkeeper pounced on the chance to put more money into her bank account like a cobra snatching its prey. She looked at the list with profound satisfaction and started to mutter to herself: "We have that…and that…almost out of that but we have enough…this might do instead…this we have plenty". Finally she announced: "We have everything you need, except wolf teeth. But I can offer you werewolf teeth. A bit on the expensive side, I am afraid, but much more potent."

_What! Werewolf teeth? They better be fake or else…_

Willow's breath quickened, the sound of her heartbeats thumping loudly in her ears. She took a few deep breaths, her thoughts swiftly investigating one plan of action after another.

_To hell with secrecy, it's time to make a stand. _She was just about to start her verbal assault when someone else made their move.

"We are talking about _fake_ werewolf teeth, right? Because if they are real we rapidly moving into creepy territory. In fact we are approaching Disturbo City right now. So I would suggest rapidly turning in the other direction." Xander's nervous laughter expressed his unease much better than his clumsy metaphors.

_Let them be fake, let them be fake…_

"Fake? How dare you insult me like that! I am not one of those people who sell crap to people who pretend to do magic. You might think me crazy but spells do work and so I feel obliged to provide only genuine magic supplies. Take your candles and stuff them where the sun doesn't shine, little boy!"

"Oh, really? Spells work, huh? So how would you like a big fat curse put on you if you don't stop selling werewolf teeth like right now, you greedy harpy?" Willow was trying to look as threatening as possible, while struggling to remember the exact wording of the spell, so that she cold turn this Anya into a rat. Or a bunny. Anything to show she meant business.

"Willow!" Tara's gasp startled her. The girl was looking at her as if Willow was the bad guy here. She was just about to open her mouth to protest when it suddenly struck her that going around threatening people with curses was probably not accepted behaviour among witches and mages. At least those of the non-evil variety.

Still, she had to do something. The horrible woman seemed completely unfazed!

"You probably read too much fairy-tales and imagined you can be the fairy-godmother but in any event I have protective spells. Few casters would be powerful enough to do a spell here. So bring it on, girlie!" The woman's smile was downright smug, her voice dripping with condescension. _Maybe I could just slap her._

For a moment Willow pondered whether she should try a spell after all but decided against it. Xander was staring at her, his frantic gesturing signaling his desire to take over from here and presumably try to defuse the tension. This was probably a good idea but still…

"If you stop selling werewolf teeth - or any other werewolf body parts for that matter, I will tell the Slayer to protect your shop with all due diligence. As much as this would pain me, I will also strive to persuade her not to come and beat up your sorry ass. How does that sound?"

"You know the Slayer? Don't make me laugh, you probably read about Slayers in some old book."

Willow couldn't help but grin. "Yes, I know her. I am her best friend actually. Along with Xander here, mind you. Her name is Buffy Summers. I also know there is another Slayer, called Kendra. Do I pass the test?"

The woman's smile faltered a bit. "Okay, you bring the Slayer here and we will talk it through. There isn't a big market for werewolf body parts anyway. And a rumour that the Slayer will go after everyone who tries to go medieval on this store would be a nice insurance. Besides, the guy who sells werewolf teeth is a jackass." The last sentence was barely audible.

Well, it wasn't exactly a mythic triumph but it was going to have to do for now. Willow finally allowed herself to relax, noticing just now that her fingernails had drawn blood from her palms. _Huh, that was some fit of rage. Note to self – next time grab onto something, instead of just making firsts and clawing on your own flesh. Oh, and better not tell about this to Oz, he might be inclined to do worse than yell and threaten. _Although, she could hardly imagine Oz getting too angry…or angry at all. Must be nice to be so in control of your emotions. A bit boring, though, Willow thought.

She suddenly realized Anya was looking at her expectantly. "Right, we have a deal then. I will bring the Slayer for a visit very soon. And you better be all smiles because Buffy can be cranky. Now, can we get back to our purchases, please?" She smiled sweetly.

Surprisingly or not, the woman smoothly resumed her role as a competent shopkeeper and didn't even attempt to force them to pay more money. Tara had gone silent again but accepted Willow's share of the bill.

Finally, they were outside. Everyone tried to speak at once:

"That was cool, Will!"

" I am sorry!"

"I-I am s-sorry!"

" Okay, you first," said Willow hastily. Tara's blush was threatening to engulf her entire face. Willow strongly suspected that the situation with herself wasn't much different.

"I shouldn't h-have interfered like that. I am just not used to threats to curse people. I mean, threats m-made by people who can do spells. I should have trusted your judgment, I am really sorry. I will totally understand if you don't want to be taught by someone so p-presumptuous." The poor girl was staring at her feet. Not for the first time Willow had the burning desire to turn back time and un-say her stupid words. What had she been thinking - threatening people with curses? She wasn't Amy's mom or Ethan Rayne, she was good. The Slayer's best friend and trusty helper, in fact. Research girl – a bit boring but reliable.

"Tara, no! It was me who screwed up and should be apologizing. I wasn't bluffing – I was really ready to put a curse on that…that woman. It's because of Oz. We mentioned that one of our friends is a werewolf – it's him. We…sort of dated for a while. Anyway, selling werewolf teeth just struck too close to home. And I would much rather have my friends interfere when I do something stupid then do nothing, so you did the right thing, Tara. "

"Yes, Will isn't usually prone to such outbursts. She is the nicest of the nice if the day is, um, nice. I was going to say something too but got a bit too caught up in the awesomeness that is righteously angry Willow. So, please, kiss and make up, you two, it's the shopkeeper we should be mad at."

Willow and Tara looked at each other with relief but before they could get into another round of probably needless apologies, Xander intervened again. "That said, I wonder if there is a high demand for demon body parts. If there is, Buffy can make a fortune. What?"

"You sure you wouldn't want to ditch Cordelia and hook up with this Anya? You two seemed to understand each other quite well before I went all crazy in there." Tara was looking at them, a crooked smile playing on her lips, eyes sparkling with glee. _Way to go, Xander and Willow!_ Relieved, Willow thought of a way to continue the streak of good mood. "So, who is up for some coffee, icecream and cake? Or you know, other types of sweet temptations? Say chocolaty goodness?"

The plan was accepted unanimously.

* * *

**A/N **_I am aware that so far this story has been a bit light on action and things happening but heavy on dialogue, backstory and setup. The next chapters should be more eventful._

_Also, I don't know if internet forums were common in 1998 but if they weren't let's assume the techno-pagans were ahead of the time, so they used forums. :)_

_And last but not least, thanks for the reviews! _


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Xander was beginning to understand the meaning of "be careful what you are wishing for". It wasn't a dramatic epiphany or anything, more like getting to suspect that the grass wasn't always _that_ much greener on the other side. Here he was, sitting on a table in The Bronze, surrounded by four incredible women and what was he doing? Wishing for more male friends. Fifteen year old Xander would have surely punched him for that. He still remembered all the evenings he spent with Willow and Jesse, wishing he would have a girlfriend or more friends or a purpose in life.

Nowadays Xander had a purpose in life and a girlfriend but Jesse... It didn't seem like a fair trade at all. He usually tried really hard not to think of Jesse but right now he just couldn't. Couldn't forget Jesse's parents who had called him so many times to ask him if Jesse had contacted him. Explaining to him that they hadn't been that bad of parents and wouldn't Xander please just call Jesse already and tell him this was not a joke and he needed to come home? They were convinced his friend had ran away and somehow this was worse than having to tell them that Jesse was no more. You know, if he had had a body to show them, instead of a pile of ashes…

_No, no, no! I have to stay positive! But Jess, wherever you are, I hope you haven't forgotten me either. Well, unless you are reincarnated and don't remember your past lives or anything, then it's okay. _He said a silent prayer aimed at whatever deities might be inclined to listen and then jumped right back into the conversation.

"So I hear those Detroit Red Wings are quite the machine. You think they can win that Stasny Cup this year?"

Four pairs of eyes stared at him as if horns had started coming out of his forehead. Maybe he should have indulged Buffy and Cordy a bit longer?

"Xander, what are you doing? I know for a fact you are not a hockey fan. Not that it wasn't clear when you called the Stanley Cup "the Stasny Cup"."

Still, Willow was smiling. Always a good sign. Buffy sighed in (hopefully fake) exasperation and tried to resume her conversation with Cordy but Xander was faster.

"Well, I hate to be stereotypical but there is only so much talk about shoes and fashions that a guy can take. If I had known that Buffy and the love of my life here would have so much fun discussing those topics, I would have suggested a visit to the mall, rather than a night at The Bronze. The music is worse but there are definitely more shoes in there. Or in other words – please Buff, release Cordy for a bit of dancing."

Buffy rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Of course. But we should do this more often" she added, turning to Cordelia. The latter seemed genuinely intrigued by the prospect. _So, my gambit worked like a charm. One to nothing for the Xan-man!_

He was just starting to rise from his seat when Tara, suddenly blurted out:

"I…think the Wings are the favourites, yes. But the S-stars and the Avs are real contenders too. Not that you care about any of this stuff but I like talking about hockey…" she finished, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Hey, hey, it's not your fault I asked that question and made myself like a fool. I am going to dance now but Buffy loves figure skating, maybe you can find something to talk about. That is if Willow would stop for a bit her quest to learn all spells in the world in a year." He smiled at Willow, who replied with mock grimace of outrage.

So Tara liked hockey? Maybe he didn't need male friends that much, after all. He was probably being unfair to Buffy and Willow, they were great friends and certainly the last thing you could tell about them was not having what to talk about. He was probably just missing Oz (_and Jesse_) a bit more tonight.

Xander finally got to the dance floor. It wasn't a particularly busy night but still some dozen or so people were enjoying the cheesy eighties disco tunes that were the DJ's choice for the evening. Come to think of it, he wasn't sure if ABBA's "Dancing Queen" was actually from the eighties. Didn't matter. He was holding Cordy's hand lovingly and after some erratic "dancing" moves that pretty much said "hey, look I am a dork!" he went for the kill. He put his arms around Cordy. He had been surprised how much he liked doing just that. Holding her and her holding him. It had an odd symmetry. It made him feel warm, feel complete. Feeling her hot breath on his shoulder, the beating of her heart, the softness of her skin.

"So, what was with the whole "I am a big macho, I watch tough guys fight on skates" speech? You wanted to impress the new girl?"

"Jealous?" He was so used to those conversation that he never flinched and continued to calmly hold her, enjoying the music and the looks he was gettting from certain Sunnydale High students, probably followers of the Queen C cult.

"You wish. You are lucky that, god help me, I found it almost cute. You could do with more sports, though. Will you try for the swim team again? For me?"

"Okay but only if you put on your cheerleading uniform for our next date. For me. What? I am a guy, I have certain needs."

"Your only need is to get a brain, doofus. It's rather pressing, though. And why are all the men so crazy about those uniforms? Personally I find that the design of our uniforms leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe I will manage to make them change it this year. Not that you will notice as long as it is a cheerleading outfit. Men!"

"What can I say, it's not my fault our culture has conditioned me into having a cheerleader fetish. It's all a big conspiracy, really. Serious business, too – remember when Amy's mother tried to kill you to get into the team? No wonder we men like cheerleaders so much, it's survival of the fittest out there and by fittest, I mean the hottest and the most cunning. So it's no surprise you are going to be made captain."

"Whatever, Darwin. Can we get back to dancing without talking?"

Buffy Summers was feeling guilty. And for what? For having fun! This certainly wasn't of the good, she decided. She couldn't possibly be out there patrolling 24/7, she needed to relax from time to time or the result was going to be one crazy Buffy. A cranky Slayer was not a good Slayer, everybody knew that. Crazy Buffy would be bad news for everyone, especially her.

But she couldn't get too relaxed either. She had vowed to make amends for the Angel fiasco. She needed to keep the innocent safe no matter what. She didn't know if she would be able to live with her guilt if more people died as a result of her inability to kill any future bad guys. Well, provided the opportunity presented itself, she corrected herself, she wasn't going to flagellate herself if the villain was impossible to find or invulnerable. _Flagellate? I have been reading way too many musty old volumes._

Buffy could still feel the mind-numbing, ice-cold shock of the moment that had led to all this – Theresa, her classmate, rising from her grave as a present from Angel. She had been in heavy denial mode but after this encounter, she hadn't been able to turn her back on reality any longer. She had had to end it all as soon as possible. Thankfully Giles had somehow managed to contact Kendra's Watcher. The rest was history, the details of which she had locked in the darkest corner of her mind. _But not too well, judging by the regularity of my nightmares._

Since then, Buffy had been torn between her desire to keep her friends safe and the desire to use their help as much as possible to help save more people. Striking a balance hadn't been easy. Willow's magic, for example. It had worked like, well, a charm, on a few occasions, something for which Buffy was deeply thankful for (she had once almost crushed Will in a bear hug after her friend, Jenny and Giles had managed to exorcise a dangerous demon from a little girl), but she also worried. Willow could sometimes be a bit too enthusiastic, too willing to show off her skills, her knowledge, her _genius_. But with magic if one screwed up a complicated spell the consequences were usually more severe than a make up test. Not that Willow of all people would have had much experience with make up tests, mind you, so the comparison was a bit flawed.

Giles and Miss Calendar had tried to keep Willow from going to far, too fast, but Buffy knew how hard this could be. Her friend had already learned Latin and Greek in order to help more with research and spells were not just a lifesaver sometimes, they were also cool. She remembered her first months as a Slayer – learning the awful truth had been hard, to say the least, but being so strong could also be exhilarating. If this happened in her normal life, it was okay – at most people would wonder where she had been hiding all those muscles – but a few times she had overestimated her strength and taken on a few too many vampires or demons. Only sheer luck and ingenuity had saved her skin. So she now hoped that the experience of Tara and her mother would help guide Willow and keep her from trying too much. Okay, Tara seemed quite shy and withdrawn but Will listened to her very carefully. She had even try to take some notes right her in The Bronze! _I guess I am not the only one who takes this saving the world thing a bit too seriously._

In the end, Buffy trusted Willow to know what to do. With spells or anything else. It was just…better to have more people telling her what not to do and even more importantly _why_ not to do it. Just in case. Precautions were definitely of the good.

She suddenly realized that a hand was waving right in front of her face.

"Right, sorry, Will. Sorry, Tara. I was a bit lost in thought. But I was having fun, really. You know, the quiet type of fun."

"No-no, it's my fault. I am keeping Willow all occupied. M-maybe we should try some dancing." The girl's nervousness was palpable. Her eyes tried to escape Buffy's gaze and she seemed to be sweating quite a bit. Surely Tara had danced before? Or she was scared of Buffy? No, this couldn't be it, she had seemed very friendly before the dancing thing came up.

"Nonsense. When Will smells a chance to learn something you new, you can't escape from her. You just can't. Many a teacher have been driven hiding in a closet or bathroom by her endless questions between the classes."

Willow slapped her arm playfully. "That is so not true. It only happened with Mrs. Jones and I had no choice but to ask her about the ancient Roman treasure apparently found in Canada. Turned out she had read that in some tabloid! Anyway, I am sorry for being all magic-girl tonight but you and Cordy were doing great. I just enjoyed seeing you smile for a change. Not that you have been depresso-girl, I meant that you "smiled" smiled tonight, instead of hint of a smile as has been…"

"I now what you meant, Will. And I will try to be more of "Buffy" Buffy, instead of just Slayer Buffy. After I go to the bathroom. Does Slayer Buffy go to the bathroom or just human Buffy, by the way? You take Tara and hit the dance floor, okay?"

"Okay but don't even think about sneaking out, missy. I saw a few boys checking you out tonight. I am sure they won't mind some dancing, even if you later choose to never call them. Not that you should. Unless you want to never call them? Wait, bathroom. Bye. Come on, Tara, I think I saw a young man gathering his courage to ask you for a dance too. But first, the promised dancing lesson." Willow made her way to the dancing floor with Tara in tow. The latter looked around, probably searching for the elusive would-be-suitor.

Dancing lesson? Willow? Some things were too odd for the human mind to ever comprehend. Boys? The last thing Buffy needed was a boyfriend. She was too busy for one thing. And, of course, there was the memory of Angel. His turning, his pure kick-in-the-gut, smug evilness. The way she had had to end things once and for all. The stake had been heavy as a rock, the thumping of her own pulse the only sound she remembered. He had been lying on the ground, defeated. She had…_No! Locked memory! Thrown key! Remember?_

Shuddering, she tried to think things through logically, while waiting to use the restroom. She would either have to lie to Mr. Future Boyfriend all the time or tell him about vampires and stuff and hope he wouldn't be scared enough to go hide in Timbuktu or someplace like that. Nor foolhardy enough to get killed (hello, Owen). And weird enough to believe her story in the first place. And then he would have to still be, you know, cute and kind and well dressed and so on – general boyfriend material-like. The more she was thinking, the more it seemed that Xander might unwittingly have been onto something when he had once suggested Buffy and Willow hook up. Sure, Willow failed the gender requirement and, as much Buffy didn't want to admit it, her friend often didn't manage to pass the fashion sense criterion either, but right now all this seemed like a small obstacle compared to the likelihood of finding a man who would be suitable.

_Wait? What am I doing?_ Some things were just too unpleasant to think about even in the form of dark sarcasm. For all she knew there was a cool monster hunter looking like young Tom Cruise waiting for her to call. Somewhere out there.

Few minutes later she was on her way to rejoin her friends when an odd couple drew her attention. The man was twenty-something and strikingly handsome. Blond hair, blue eyes a face that could have launched a thousand ships if the ancient Greeks had recognized gay marriage and he had been, you know, the male equivalent of Helen of Troy. Not too tall, not too conspicuous muscles – just right. Yummy!

Wait, this wasn't the reason she had stopped in her tracks, and was giving him her full attention. Well, not the only reason in any event. He was with a young woman who was all smiles and had hugged him in a way that simply screamed "He is mine, he is mine, aren't you jealous, huh?". Okay, maybe this was an unfair interpretation. Personal issues.

The guy though, looked annoyed by his partner's antics. Weird. If he didn't fancy her, he could certainly find another one to replace her in matter of minutes. He was also looking around carefully, trying to look nonchalant about it and failing miserably. Just before he turned in Buffy's direction, looking ready to leave the bar, she made a preemptive strike – pretended to be really interested in her shoes. Seconds later, she heard the door open and then close. Buffy decided to follow just in case. The guy didn't really strike her as a vampire but it never hurt to make sure.

Finding herself outside, at first she thought she had lost them. Then she heard a muffled cry from a very familiar dark alley nearby. It had been the final resting place for the ashes of many vampires, who had tried the tired trick of preying on the Bronze patrons. She rushed towards the sound.

The girl was laying on the ground. _No, no, no! She can't be dead? Why would he kill her so quickly? _Then she noticed that the girl's chest was moving rhythmically, she was still breathing! The guy had her back turned to her and was shaking. What the hell was going on? Was he a vampire?

Then he just…changed. The air around him flickered for a second and there he was again. Only he seemed shorter. And not so well built. He turned around. Buffy gasped. His face was different. But it wasn't demonic as she had expected. He seemed human enough, however the Hollywood hottie look was gone. Now he looked like a normal guy. Not ugly but not attractive either. This was getting weirder and weirder.

The man seemed shaken for a few seconds but finally deigned to acknowledge her presence. His looked around quickly, obviously searching for an escape route. Still, he tried to take her for a fool first:

"My-my girlfriend passed out. She drunk too much tonight, I am afraid. Would you help me get her into my car?" He also started fumbling into his pocket. _A gun?_

"Okay, what is it with you people? You think any lame lie would do, is that it? Don't you remember me from the bar? When you looked like a movie star? So cut the crap. Game over, if you still haven't hurt anyone you might walk away with little more than a lesson well learned, pal."

"Okay, I give up. But who are you, the sheriff or something?" He really needed to work on his sincerity, Buffy mused. She closed the distance between them, getting ready to react if (or rather when) the guy tried something stupid.

Suddenly, smoke started coming out of the guy's pocket. What, he set himself on fire? Buffy wasn't that scary, was she? Then she had no time for guesses or anything else as the thick white smoke was seemingly everywhere around. Even her Slayer vision and hearing deserted her and she started stumbling in the weird fog, virtually deaf and blind. _Damn, I really should have first punched him, _then _asked the questions._ _Will I ever learn? God, I hate fog. And I hate magic. Okay, bad magic only but still._

Finally, after a few excruciating minutes and some unpleasant bumps into the walls around, she staggered out of the bloody fog. Sure enough, the bastard was gone. So was his victim. Buffy so needed the help of her friends right now. And to think she had been itching for an excuse to not go have fun tonight! Now she had an excuse but she very much wished she could stay and enjoy the evening. _The universe must really hate me…_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Dancing sucked. Yes, it totally sucked. Okay, it sucked only for the clumsy and klutzy and stupid and ungraceful and…other unflattering words. Still, it sucked. Not being able to enjoy this evening fully sucked. The world sucked. Being so grumpy sucked. _Get a hold of yourself, girl._

Willow had been so helpful and full of understanding. It sort of made things worse. Okay, not really but it made Tara feel bad a little for not being able to learn "the moves" immediately. Her new friend, okay, _potential_ new friend, had done all she could to make Tara feel the rhythm and move her stupid body and stupid limbs in any fashion resembling that of a dance. Well, the dance of someone who wasn't so drunk they could hardly move, at least. So far Tara hadn't felt any improvement. Stupid…

"You are doing better." Willow said. She looked like she meant it, which couldn't really be true, could it? Regardless of her doubts, Tara found herself smiling back at the redhead. She was suddenly finding it very hard not to agree with anything Willow said, especially when it involved pleading looks or encouraging grins. Her perkiness was contagious. "Now, do you want me to go to the DJ and tell him to play some song that you love", Willow added, almost yelling and leaning close to Tara to make herself heard.

"N-no, it's okay. It's me who is the problem, not the music," Tara sighed. Feeling Willow's hot breath on her cheek had a weird effect on her. But nice. Definitely. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and was just about to open her mouth to offer Willow to take a little break when she heard _it_. That guitar riff! It was unmistakable. A huge smile appeared on her face.

Willow's eyebrows were raised and she was curiously peering at Tara but her own grin was impossible to miss. Feeling both silly and oddly thrilled, Tara started headbanging. Maybe this wasn't how people listened to such music here but she could no more stop herself than halt an avalanche. She heard Willow's laughter despite the loud music and by the time Slash had started his famous solo, the redhead had actually caught her hand and was headbanging herself! Her touch was electric. Then the world ceased to exist for a while and there was only "Where do we go now?" and rocking motions, her hair sticking to her sweaty face. It was crazy. It looked really silly. Yet it was amazing! It was _Sweet Child of Mine_!

Then the world suddenly got back on focus. She realized the music was stopped and Willow was still holding her hand and laughing. Wait, Tara was laughing too, if a bit erratically. The headbanging had tired her quite a bit. In the momentary silence, caused by god knows what lapse of the DJ, a few of the fellow dancers were looking at them as if they were aliens from outer space, but that was okay. Everything was okay. It was worth it! Xander appeared suddenly, grinning from ear to ear.

"Having fun, Will? Nice job, Tara! Wanna go to a concert sometimes? And you should so meet Oz! I mean, because he is so much into rock and all that. Not because we are not more than cool enough for anybody," he finished lamely. Cordelia sniffed but Tara suspected this was more out of habit than anything else. She then turned to Willow. The redhead's eyes were twinkling, despite her mock outrage following Xander's teasing. Suddenly feeling very conscious of the slender hand still holding her own, Tara tried to make her hair a bit more presentable. Feeling a bit lightheaded gestured towards their seat and Willow complied. Cordelia chose this moment to assure Xander that if he wanted to go to rock concert, it wouldn't be with her, thank you very much.

"Maybe we can take Giles with us" the boy mused, undaunted. "He never talks about it but he must have been very much into the whole sex, drugs and rock and roll thing once upon a time. But I suspect the old man would want us to go to a gig of some band older than time itself. Oh, well, as long as he pays, why not?"

"Jenny likes Metallica, so I guess she at least is not stuck in the sixties", Willow added helpfully. "I bet she can make Giles go to any concert. Remember when she dragged him to a monster truck race?" Everyone laughed, including Tara. She had know Mr. Giles for less than a day but could already picture his expression when faced with such a rustic type of entertainment.

They took their seats. Willow, amazingly, had held Tara's hand all the way, and only seemed to notice when the two girls sat down. She looked a bit flustered but recovered quickly. After a some awkward moments, her left hand found Tara's right under the table and patted it a bit reassuringly before retreating. This and Willow's pleading look was a message that needed no words – she wasn't embarrassed to hold Tara's arm, just surprised for a bit. Tara was surprised by her own reaction. She was feeling hot and they had only danced for like twenty minutes. She found herself yearning for Willow's gentle touch. Had she been that starved for friendship, she wondered.

Xander and Willow's volley of questions about her musical tastes was suddenly interrupted by Buffy's appearance. She did not look happy. Her hair was all tangled up and she had an ugly bruise on her cheek. Could it be…?

"Houston, we have a problem!"

"I was afraid you were going to say that," Xander grumbled. "Any chance it's Giles lost the keys to his apartment sort of problem, not, you know, our town kind of problem?"

"No, it's the usual. Come on, we need a plan and we need to hurry. Tara, you down with helping tonight? Just with the planning, of course."

"Yes". No stuttering. Good. That was the spirit. She would show the bastards!

"Okay. Cordy – call Giles. Tell him we have a magic-related problem and we will him meet at his apartment."

"This should teach him – going to fancy restaurants practically means tempting fate. Especially if you go with two women."

_I pity the bad guy. Mom is going to be so pissed…_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"You are saying that this fellow could change his appearance? Did he chant a spell to do it?" Giles asked. He needed to get to bottom of this soon. Being disturbed while he had been enjoying his best meal in months hadn't done much to improve his mood. Somebody needed to pay for this crime against cuisine!

"Yes. And he looked quite human too. I know, so do vampires most of the time but I think he was human. Spider sense."

"Ah, the ever reliable spider sense," Giles said. "Not that I haven't learned to trust it but we need to make sure – you wouldn't want to stab a human in the heart, would you?" And then there had been the oh-so-rare chance to have a nice pleasant chat about the good old times. Sometimes it seemed fate was conspiring against him having a life. At least Laura knew he was a Watcher, so the ever unpleasant lies when duty called were spared to Giles this time.

"Can't I make an exception for this maniac? He is a kidnapper, maybe a murderer too." Buffy didn't sound too unhappy with the prospect of having to deal with a human. _This isn't going well at all._

"Proving his guilt could be tricky," Willow said. "But this doesn't mean we can just kill him. There has to be another way." She stared at Giles, looking for support.

"Y-yes, we need to exhaust the alternative solutions first." He took off his glasses and started polishing them. Jenny, god bless her, squeezed his shoulder in a quiet gesture of support.

"So let's get exhausting then!" Buffy insisted. "Any ideas about that fog thingy? I am pretty sure it was mojo. Too thick and disorientating to be just a smoke bomb or some gadget like that."

"Well, the guy could be into both spells and gadgets, like Will," Xander said. "But it's better to just stick with the mojo theory for now. Not least because it means our friends of the witchy persuasion would do most of the research while I would be just the comic relief guy."

"Well, there are many different glamoring spells, all of them rather tough to achieve, I might add. The fog spell sounds like a variation of the Veil of Trimonus," Jenny said, with Laura nodding in agreement. "But it usually requires a rather long chanting. I guess the guy must have modified it somehow."

"A potion!" Willow exclaimed. "He probably made a potion he could use in a emergency."

"Creepier and creepier," Cordelia replied. "Hey, what if he turns Buffy into a rat again? Can't one of you just point a finger and take away his power? Or turn him into a frog. Or a cockroach. This could be fun."

"I think he will never know what hit him," Buffy said grimly. "I will take all the support I can get, people, but we need to find him first. We asked around in the Bronze but nobody ever notices anything suspicious there, plus the guy was disguised so well, his mother wouldn't have recognized him."

"We can try a locator spell…only it's kind of impossible to do it based on just a description," Willow said.

"W-what about the magic shop? He must have bought supplies for the potion and the disguise spell from somewhere and it might well be from that shop." Laura's daughter looked at Giles, then sheepishly stared into the ground, obviously embarrassed.

"It might work. Only it will have to wait for tomorrow and speed is of the essence," Giles replied.

"Not necessarily," Xander said. "The new owner is well, weird. She practically forced me to take her card, so I could call her whenever I have the sudden desire to turn somebody into a frog in the middle of the night. We can check and see if she is for real. Now, the real question – who is paying?"

"Paying? You mean this woman an informant? Don't we already have one? Willie, I think he was called that?" Giles said. _Is everything about money these days?_

"She can have some of what I am giving Wilie," snapped Buffy. She was pacing around Giles's crowded apartment, bumping into people, seemingly without noticing it.

"Sure Buff, but let me be the good cop, first." Xander was already calling. "Hello? Miss Jenkins? I am very sorry to disturb in this ungodly hour but…Yes, I know you told me to free to call whenever I felt like spending money. No, this isn't about your high quality merchandise per se, no wait – we _will_ buy something, only it's information, not magic supplies. How do you feel about selling out your clients? Okay, nice to hear that. Well, as long as you don't tell everyone about that love potion I bought."

"Damn, he is smooth," marveled Cordelia. "We might not even need Buffy to threaten to break this snitch's legs. Although, that could be fun," she added.

"Cordelia!" Sometimes that young woman behaved as if she wanted to drive Giles mad.

"What? I meant the bad cop act, not actual broken bones because eeew! Everybody in the movies does it."

"Okay, just shut up before I bad-cop you!" Buffy yelled, obviously having had enough.

"All right, your highness. Gee, get a pet or something," he heard her mumble and was thankful Buffy chose to ignore the barbed comment.

Meanwhile the absurdly complicated negotiations had gone on, albeit in hushed tone. Finally Xander announced he had struck a deal. Buffy was to go meet this woman, prove she was the Slayer and vow to keep her shop safe.

"She wanted money too but I told her how pissed you are and she changed her mind. I had to assure her Will, Tara and everyone else I know would buy magic supplies only from her. I have no idea how she thinks I am going to make you do that or how she is going to check to see if you don't "cheat" on her with other shops."

"Fine, fine, can we go now? You say we will meet at that magic shop?"

"Yes, Anya needs to check her books to see the guy's name and address. But she is sure someone fitting that description bought supplies that could be used for that Veil of something-or-other spell."

"Yay for lack of privacy," Willow chimed in. "I guess that guy isn't that smart. Should have paid with cash."

Buffy was already rushing towards the front door. Giles decided to go with her. He sensed she shouldn't be alone now. While he was putting on his shoes Jenny, Willow, Tara and Laura were already preparing a counter-measures against the spells they suspected the perpetrator could use. _Teamwork is a beautiful thing._

"Buffy, wait for me. You know I don't want you driving my car. At least not unless it's absolutely necessary in order to prevent the apocalypse," he chuckled. She gave him an annoyed look. Well, he deserved it, the joke was stupid. "Plus, the keys are still in me." _Damn, she didn't find that funny either._

**XXXXXXXXXX **

**A/N **Mea culpa for the ridiculous delay. I feel like G.R.R.M.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The street was shrouded in darkness which suited Buffy's mood perfectly. Clouds had covered the moon and the stars, while all the surrounding building were unlit. Except for one. Buffy didn't really need Giles to point out that this was their destination but sure enough he did just that which only served to annoy her some more.

"Let's get this over with," she said. She dashed towards the Magic Box, half-hoping she would catch some vamp trying to rob it and would use him as a punching bag. No luck. She opened the door, noting the sign said "open". Buffy wondered if this Anya really believed a client would stumble across the shop at this ungodly hour and be tempted to buy something. Then again, it was Sunnydale, so…

"Hello? Anyone in there?" Buffy looked around but the shop seemed empty. Then suddenly the lights went off and she heard a quiet snapping sound. Instinctively she threw herself to the ground even before her brain had had the time to fully realize that it had been the sound of a crossbow being used._ A trap? _Something hit the shelves behind Buffy with a dull noise.

"Nice reflexes," somebody remarked with smug cheerfulness. Female. Was it Anya or something worse? Or was _Anya_ this something worse? Whoever it was, It would be nice of them to give her a chance to vent a bit and kindly play the role of the punching bag. She got ready to jump at the vaguely visible petite form that had appeared from god knows where and had uttered those words.

Then the lights were turned on. The strange woman did match Xander's description. So far so good. But she was also holding a crossbow. Another human criminal? What's with humanity today, Buffy groaned.

"I know what you are thinking – why did this bitch shot at me? Now, before you cut me to pieces, look at the bolt, please. Don't worry, I will throw the crossbow away, this isn't some plot to shoot you in the back. Plus, that man is probably a friend of yours, he can watch me while you check." Giles had just entered the shop, and was looking around, trying to understand what the hell was going on.

"Hey, he is kind of sexy, actually. Does he do spells too?". Why wouldn't this woman just shut up? Buffy saw her throw the crossbow as promised and left her cover. She glared at Anya, then checked the bolt. Its head was blunt and made of soft rubber. Still, her anger had not abated.

"Enough of these games! People's lives are in danger, so I have no time for your crap. Let's get this over with. What do you want me to break to prove I am the Slayer?" Buffy was aware that her voice was starting to sound dangerously close to a growl but right now she didn't care. People could be so blind and petty and useless! And time was running out.

"Don't bother. I had cast a spell that showed me you are the real deal right after you walked through this door. The crossbow thing was just for fun. Can I come and watch you rip apart the bad guy?"

Buffy's blood was boiling. Something in her snapped and her anger took over her completely. Deciding words weren't going to cut it anymore, she lunged towards Anya and grabbed by the collar, lifting her slightly from the ground.

"Pick the shelve you think would be the softest to land into. And don't worry, I will call the ambulance if you can't get up." She bared her teeth at the woman. A part of Buffy's brain registered that Anya was still looking completely unruffled by the situation. But mostly the Slayer just wanted to show her woman how much of a bad idea it was to take her lightly and waste her time.

"Buffy!" Giles's voice came like from a million miles away. The adrenaline coursing through her veins insisted she ignore him. She needed to vent her anger somehow and this woman was so looking for it? Right? Right? Her knuckles were turning white on the white collar of the woman's blouse. She looked at Anya's face – the woman was still keeping her serenity! Okay, screw it! She wasn't worth it, Buffy had a real criminal to catch. She let go and Anya fell on the floor rather ungracefully.

Giles was there, arm on her shoulder. Poor bastard probably wondered if it would be, what was the word, indecorous to give her a hug! She thought about that for a few seconds then begun to laugh. It was a shrill sound that startled her Watcher but she enjoyed the moment. She was lucky to have Giles and the other Scoobies in her life. So very, very lucky.

"I am okay. Really. Just tired of certain people's rudeness and pettiness, that's all. And impatient. Go deal with this weirdo, so that we don't run the risk of any more violent incidents."

He nodded (it was so nice of him to know when to keep silent), and went to confer with Anya. Buffy sat on the floor for a few minutes, then they were back in the car.

"What a…remarkable woman," Giles noted wryly.

"Yeah. Remarkable. Not annoying in any way. And I don' t hope she will turn out to be a she-demon in disguise. Just an honest shopkeeper who is remarkably frustrating. I mean, competent." But the bite had gone out of her words. She just wanted to get going.

"Are we getting back to the apartment?" asked Giles. He showed her the address of the suspect.

"No, we already lost enough time. We will call when we get there. Have you ever thought about buying some cell phones? Searching for payphones while in the midst of hunting baddies is so last century. Okay, this century, but we need to move with the times."

"I am glad you are feeling better, Buffy," said Giles, his usual reserved smile taking shape on his face. "And yes, I have thought about it. But let's not think about that now and focus on our objective."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Why do we have to research spells too? There are enough witches here to form a coven."

"We don't have to. It's just either that or look useless, you know," Xander replied but Cordelia was still not satisfied.

"We _are_ useless when it comes to spells. And you'd better not forget it because you know what happened the last time you tried to meddle with the forces of darkness."

"Okay, okay. But still we might find something. We can read, right? And it's not as if Giles has a TV. Wait, maybe we can talk about where our relationship is going."

"Ugh. What's with you and this touchy-feely crap? I like you more when ramble on and on about cheerleader uniforms. Be a man!" She did wonder, though. Where was their relationship going? Cordelia usually didn't think much about that. It was something that just happened. And so far it had been terrific. Making plans and talking about it could ruin the… magic.

"Fine. Sorry I asked," Xander went to the nearest bookshelf and pretended to look for a book.

_Why are men so weird?_ "No need to make a scene, we will talk - _if_ you really want to open that box of Pandora. Just not now. Now we want to catch that psycho." Xander pulled a book at random an got back to the sofa. He leaned for a quick kiss and Cordelia indulged him.

"That's my girl – always ready to kick some pervert in the balls. And I speak from personal experience. What? Just because it happened in fifth grade, doesn't mean it didn't hurt. Although, splashing you with cold water stretches the definition of a pervert a bit, unless you wear a tight shirt.

"For the last time – childhood stories are a total mood killer! And for the record, I don't even remember that happening." Despite what she had just said, she kissed her boyfriend again. Boyfriend. It was still so weird to think of Xander that way. Maybe they did need that talk after all. Mmm, he really had learned to kiss well. But then again Cordelia Chase was a great teacher. Now, if only he could learn to dress too…

A few minutes later, the phone ringing startled them. _Well, that was so much better than looking up some stupid spells in those musty books. _Miss Calendar answered the call but the others were ready to leave even before she had confirmed it was Buffy. After all who else would call Giles at night?

Willow and the new girl came with Cordelia and Xander to her shiny new BMW. Not that those two would have noticed if it was a BWM or a horse cart, they were so deep into magic geekdom that she almost fell sorry for them. Almost.

"Yes, that should be enough to overcome any confusion spells. We don't have much mandrake root but it should be enough. Let's mix with the other ingredients. Here, take this pouch and pour it in this…" Willow continued to drone on.

"Remember – no spilled animal guts or other magical crap inside my car. Unless you can magic it away later. And why didn't you do that before we left?"

"There was no time, obviously," Willow replied. These days she seemed so unimpressed by Cordelia's yelling. _I guess she had learned something from Queen C too. _

"It's all p-powder-y so stains shouldn't be a problem. W-we wouldn't dream of dirtying your c-car. It's a very nice car." So she had noticed after all!

"Don't let my lovely girlfriend boss you around too much, Tara. Once you start, you might find yourself almost naked and alone in the middle of nowhere. What? It's just a figure of speech. Never happened to me. Obviously".

"Obviously," said Willow while Tara just mumbled something. "And you would also obviously never have a make-out session while we bust our asses trying to find ways to help Buffy, right Xan?"

"You are a fine one to talk, Miss-Let's-Hide-Behind-the-Bookshelves-and-Start-with-The-Smoochies. How many was it, three times that I had to pretend to be blind after bumping into you two when we researched how to defeat that three-headed demon?"

Cordelia noticed Tara's confused expression in the rear-view mirror. "In case you are confused, they don't mean any harm. Xander liked Oz and actually misses him now, while me and Willow are just the best of buds, right Will?" She then yelled at some idiot who indicated his intention to make a sudden left turn way too late.

"Don't push it, Cordelia. Let's just say it's hard to keep grudges on people who help you save lives. And Xander, you don't have to rub it in. Who knows if I will ever find another boyfriend with whom I could share the supernatural hijinks that is the life in the Scooby gang."

"Was that a hint aimed at luring my boyfriend away?"

"Yes, everything is about you, always. I heard the moon will be asking you for permission to orbit the earth any day now."

"Did something b-bad happened to Oz?" asked Tara. "I am s-sorry, I shouldn't have asked," she added hastily.

"Bad? Hell yeah! He went to study at Berkeley when everyone knows that the parties at UCLA are so much better," Cordelia replied, with a sense of smug superiority. While she would hate to admit it out loud, she doubted that Oz of all people wouldn't know where the wildest parties could be found. But it always paid to seem confident and all-knowing.

"But you shouldn't feel too bad about him. He is going to party like it's 1999 anyway. He made the Scoobies parties more fun! Not as much as me and my sarcasm, but still, he improved them. And bear in mind, we are talking about a guy who says two words per hour. When he is feeling especially talkative, that is."

"Xander! Oz is a good guy. It just didn't work out between us but we are friends. He promised to drop by whenever we need his help, so maybe you could meet him soon, Tara. Not that I want us to have an emergency that would force us to call for help," Willow added quickly.

Finally they arrived at a rather ordinary looking house. Cordelia had expected something more sinister, or at least more memorable. The white fence, the small front-yard, the porch were so…cliché. Then again, it fit Sunnydale's unique brand of secret horrors. Jenny's car had stopped some distance before the house in question and they had all continued on foot in an attempt to be stealthy. Now, they were right next to the said when fence and were looking for Buffy and Giles.

"Where are they?" said Cordelia.

"Can you repeat this louder, I think somebody in the house at the other end of the street might not have heard it?" Miss Calendar's whispered reply elicited a grimace of annoyance from Cordelia. She had been perfectly quiet and sneaky! The stupid woman was probably worried about her precious Giles.

Suddenly the front door opened and a man dashed towards the opening in the fence. Before anyone had had time to wonder much what was going on, Buffy's voice came out loud and clear: "Giles, after him!"

"Hey, how come she isn't whispering?" As always, Xander offered some comic relief. While she was registering that fact with some small part of her brain, Cordelia had swiftly moved to intercept the suspect. Luckily, she reached him before he could make it to the street itself and caught him unawares while he was looking back over his shoulder. She instinctively lifted her leg and tripped him. He fell with a curse, and before he could get up she kicked him in the balls. Twice.

"And that's all she wrote," said Xander, whistling in appreciation of the move. "Remind me to never kidnap you. Unless it is in the consensual kinky way." Cordelia rolled her eyes but allowed him to hug her. Buffy had come out now. She lifted the kidnapper with ease and brought him in.

Cordelia was still feeling excited but now cautiousness kicked in. "Shouldn't we gag him or something? He is screaming like a pig before Christmas."

"Fortunately for you we did a spell," said Miss Calendar with a smirk. "See that small ball I am holding? No sound can escape the zone of about fifty feet around it. So nobody heard anything except us."

"Too bad nobody heard Cordelia's war cry, though. It was quite memorable," Willow was mocking her! How dared she!

"What are you talking about? I did everything and did it sneakily and you are whining now? Tell her, Xander!"

"Willow's right, that war cry was wicked cool!"

"Not you too! I am not some idiot who yells when attacking. This isn't one of those lame kung-fu movies. But still, if I did yell without noticing, it must have been cool, because, duh, I did it."

"I l-liked it," said Tara. "I-it had a certain classy ring to it."

"Hey, look at who is all ready to fit into the Scooby gang! We value the quips here. The funnier, the better," said Xander, still holding her tightly.

"You are just jealous that only I got to kick the pervert in the balls. Let's go see what Buffy will do with him. I say a few broken bones are in order. I still blame at her for letting that psycho Eric go to jail without anything more serious than a bruise. Or those frat guys."

"Buffy wouldn't do that. She will just call the police and we will go for some much needed sleep. Although, I am not so sure about you, Cordy, you might be a key witness."

"Not again! Can't Willow just cast a spell on him and make him confess his crimes?"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Looking back at that strange night, Jenny recalled how everything had been proceeding smoothly at first after apprehending the culprit. They had found two young women, anemic looking and very angry but extremely happy to be rescued. So far they hadn't found any tools for torture…thank goodness for the small favours. The victims said that the culprit hadn't raped them (again, thank goodness!) and that he seemed interested in them only as a source of blood.

But a quick test with a mirror and cross had shown that the man was not a vampire. He seemed defeated and ready to spill the beans. He had told them that his actions had been a scheme to impress women. He had come across an old spell book and had tried a glamour spell just for the heck of it. To his astonishment, it had worked but only for a minute or two. His weak abilities had needed a more sinister source of power, namely human blood. Hence the kidnappings. Such a sordid and pathetic tale that Jenny had almost felt bad for the bastard until his sobbing confession turned things on their head:

"Women were practically chasing me. It was so great! I was going to let these two go after learning controlling the spell better without using blood. You have to believe me! I didn't mean to kill anyone. B-but then, I drew too much blood, she, she got sick and I couldn't really call a doctor, you see, and then she seemed to be okay and suddenly she died."

In the blink of an eye Buffy had rushed forward and punched him in the face. He fell awkwardly and the Slayer proceeded to kick him a few times in the ribs before anyone had gotten over their shock. Willow recovered first, and caught her friend by the arm.

"Please, Buffy, it's a matter for the police! He is human, let them deal with him! I want to hurt him badly too but it would be wrong! Please!"

"Wrong? You know, what's wrong, Will? Everyone in this stinking town turning a blind eye to all the monsters and not only that but some of our fellow citizens try to match them in brutality! Who is going to miss this…this abomafation?"

"Abomination," corrected Willow automatically. "We can't judge the humans, Buffy! At least not when there is another way! Giles, help me out here!"

"She is right. We cannot be that type of vigilantes. If there was no other way, I would kill the bastard myself but I can't let you do it. Not like that."

_Ooh, shades of Ripper!_ Now was not the time to think about sex, she reminded herself. Things were too serious. She had knelt next to the culprit and was checking his pulse. Weak but noticeable. He had an impressively thick skull, the stupid pervert. Either that, or some part of Buffy hadn't really wanted to kill him. Wait, but was that because she wanted him to feel pain longer? Some things didn't bear much thinking about.

"But what if he escapes and kills again, Giles? Can you live with that? Can I? I have been there and it's not a place I want to revisit. Why not end it here and now? I am sick of giving second chances."

"If it helps, we can bind his magic powers." Laura Maclay had been just an observer since she had helped Jenny conjured that noise-dampening gadget but now her words were like music to Jenny's ears.

"Y-yes, that would be very helpful," said Rupert. "I was going to suggest it but…are you sure you can manage it? It's a very difficult spell."

"Not me. We. I will need everybody's help and a bit of luck."

"I still say we should kill him", said Cordelia. "Let's vote!"

"No, if he can be treated like any other criminal, then this is what needs to happen. I hope I didn't beat him too badly. He is okay, right Miss Calendar?"

"He will live. Let's get to work. Willow, you brought the supplies, right? Now, put them here and…"

After that everything turned rather prosaic again. The binding ritual worked even before the foolish man had regained consciousness. Willow's idea of adding more chicken feet to the supplies raised some eyebrows but worked splendidly. Jenny had to admit that the girl's scientific approach to magic could be surprisingly effective, if dangerous. The culprit, Buffy and the two girls were in for a long night of (not entirely true) statements for the police but since the guy was way more horrified of Buffy and his victims than he was of the police, Jenny didn't doubt he was going to be convicted easily, based on his own confession. The police could deal with the body of his most unfortunate victim, Jenny had seen enough dead bodies in this cursed town to last her for a lifetime.

After finally getting home (well, Rupert's but it felt like home), Jenny showered quickly and let her boyfriend give her a foot-rub. Those strong hands felt so nice. Still, there was no use delaying it more.

"You are worried about Buffy, right? Poor girl, she really has it tough."

"I am. She kind of flipped out at the magic shop too. The idiot shopkeeper was provoking her foolishly but nevertheless it wasn't something I want to see again." He stopped the massage for a bit and started polishing his glasses. Jenny didn't protest. Polishing the glasses was a sacred ritual for him. Her feet could wait for a minute.

"Maybe she needs a vacation? How about we handle the slaying for a few days? She can go camping or something."

"She wouldn't even hear of it. She feels responsible for the people Angel killed. I am trying to convince her that we can handle it but she wouldn't take the risk. I admire her tenacity but it's not healthy to demand so much of oneself."

"I will talk to Willow and Xander. Maybe they will convince her. Mmm, that's nice, right there, honey."

"I almost feel bad for that…what was his name again? The kidnapper. Not the "I am Casanova" aspect, just wanting to be someone else. I have been there – the whole Ripper thing. I even misused magic."

"But you are not like Ethan. You are my Rupert, the bravest and smartest boyfriend in the whole world. And the one who gives the best massages. I accept no substitutes."

"Jenny! I do try my best," he added playfully. Then suddenly that intolerable man started tickling her feet!

"Stop it! You are the worst! Now that you have made me mad I will not glamour as Elle Macpherson for you. I know you are going to suggest it, so I am telling you now that I won't do it! Stop it!"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N** The conclusion of this arc is a bit rushed but at one point I realized I had written almost 20 000 words describing a single day in the lives of the Scoobies and decided to move things faster. I hope you will like it. I expected to have difficulties with Cordelia because her character is a bit of an enigma for me but I ended up having a blast. I don't know if it worked well but I sure enjoyed writing her point of view.

**Jeremy Shane -** Angel is dust. I included a bit of infodumping about Oz in this chapter. He should appear in some point.

And big thanks to everyone who is taking an interest in the story! I hope I will be able to update it more regularly in the future.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Why do vampires keep letting the people they want to sire be properly buried? You'd think they would have learned their lesson after potential new vamp buddy number five ended up as dust three seconds after rising - just like numbers one to four."

"Don't know but I hope they continue doing it. But if I have to guess – tradition. We have always done it so and all that jazz."

"Gotcha. Or maybe some of them don't even know that their victim would rise even if not buried. It's all magic and they don't get a user manual as a way of learning the rules of vampire…hood."

"Can we talk about something else? You are being so morbid, Xander. Is it because school is starting tomorrow?"

"Why, yes! It's Sunnydale High, you know. I can handle demons but Snyder gives me the wiggins. And there is the actual studying thing. Not so good for Xander, as you know, Buff. At least nowadays I have a plan B – if that education thing doesn't work out, I can try marrying the rich heiress and living the good life of a gentleman of leisure." _How come this seems scarier than even math?_

"So your plan B is to become a character from a Victorian novel? Fine, but remember that Cordelia will eviscerate you if you try to lock her in the attic." Buffy smirked.

"Lock her in the attic? Those Brits sure knew how to have wacky fun, didn't they? I will be much more refined than those fine gentlemen of yore – I will simply not talk to her much and we will have separate lives – isn't that what those sirs and ladies did, anyway? I will go foxhunting, she will gossip and yell at the maids or something. Why are we talking about Lord and Lady Chase anyway?"

"Because you love gorgeous period dresses, mister! Remember Halloween last year, didn't my outfit do it for you much more than Cordy's not so enchanted and tight, but not as classy costume?"

"I will take the fifth on that one, thank you very much. Blasted rain!" He slipped on the wet grass and almost fell to the ground. Just his luck it was his turn to patrol with Buffy in that weather. It hadn't been easy to convince her to always take someone with her but Willow's pout and Giles's arguments had been decisive.

Suddenly something whistled past his left shoulder. His soldier instincts kicked in and he threw himself on the ground.

"Buffy, get down!" he yelled, looking frantically for cover and for the unknown assailants. She followed his advice, if with a muffled curse. Nothing could be seen in the cemetery gloom but some angry voices could be heard.

"Fight or flight?" he hissed to Buffy, who was staring in the direction of the voices. Despite the darkness, he could see her bared teeth. _Uh-oh…._

"Run? Are you crazy?"

"Sounded like quite a few baddies, Buff. This isn't the Alamo and they seem ready for us, they have crossbows."

"I will show them where they can shove those…" She lunged forward, a dark shadow moving with astonishing speed. Luckily, their assailants were not fully ready for the reckless charge. She closed the distance without getting hit and I in matter of seconds one of the enemies was dust. But there were six more and some were taking aim, not likely to miss from this close.

Xander rose to his feet and found out he was clutching a stone in his hand. Those instinct of his were soldier's, not caveman's, right? _No time for this._ He threw the stone in desperation, amazingly it hit some chubby woman with red hair in the arm, forcing her to drop her crossbow. She rushed at him, growling, the crossbow forgotten. He risked a glance at Buffy, who had just managed to break one vampire's neck and used the paralyzed body as a shield against two quarrels aimed at her, then prepared to meet the vampires' attack.

Xander pulled out his axe, praying his luck would hold out. Yes, luck because he certainly didn't have enough skill to count on it to survive for long against these creatures. The hag's mad dash towards him had left her open but he couldn't risk having his weapon get stuck in her body. So, fighting his wildly beating heart and racing thoughts, he summoned his clam and stepped aside. Her wildly swinging left arm still connected with his ribs and the left side of his chest exploded in pain. Gritting his teeth, Xander swung with the axe and aimed for her right foot. He hit the ankle, his blade creating an ugly red gash. The vampire shrieked in pain but her instictive kick backwards hit the handle of the axe and made Xander drop his weapon. He was starting to see black spots but still had the presence of mind to pull back and move away from the limping vampire. He pulled out a small bottle out of his pocket, grimaced with pain, murmured "I wish I had a healing potion instead" and threw it in her face.

Bullseye! The shrieks turned deafening and the woman fell to the ground, clutching her face. Xander seized the moment, picked up his axe, lunged forward and aimed it at the heart of the monster. This wouldn't have worked with an ordinary axe but this one had a wooden spike above the blade, intended for just such an eventuality. With an angry roar which made his ribs hurt even more Xander shoved the spike into the heart of the vampire. He had leaned so much into the attack that after the vamp dissolved into dust he staggered forward and collapsed to the ground. And that was the last thing he remembered for a while.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

_Two against one? Now that's more like it! _Buffy dodged the kick of the closest vamp, a bulky middle age black guy, his face contorted into a grotesque mask of rage. Her quick jab hit him in the throat. Vampires might not breathe but she knew it still hurt them like hell when she punched them in that spot. The vamp stumbled, Buffy caught his left arm and threw him at the other vampire, a lanky young man who surprised her by managing you avoid being hit. Then he surprised her once again – he ran away. _Vampires. Not big with teamwork, fortunately. _The first vampire tried to get up after his collision with Mother Earth but she plunged into his heart before he had time to defend himself. Buffy looked towards row of crypts where the last adversary had run away, wondering if she would have a shot at catching him. Then something stuck her. Xander!

She had completely forgotten him in the heat of battle. It had indeed been reckless of her to attack seven vampires. A crossbow bolt had scratched her leg – a little to the right and she would have been an easy prey. A vampire had gone after Xander, right? That she remembered at least. He can't be dead, the vampire would have come back to me. _Unless she wanted to enjoy her meal. Not big with teamwork, remember?_ Cold sweat was running down her back while she looked for Xander. Not Xander's body, she reminded herself, but alive, brave Xander.

"Xander! Xander! Now it's not the time to play hide and seek or go buy a snack. Where are you?" she yelled.

Then she saw him, lying on the grass. No! Wait, no vampire around. _Maybe…Please, god, please! _She sprinted towards him, hearing the loud thumping of her own rapid heartbeat. She had time to register the lack of blood before she put her hand on his neck and, thank you god, felt his pulse. She sighed, the overwhelming relief making her feel almost dizzy. Now, what was she supposed to do with Xander? He was unconscious but didn't look that badly hurt. Time to consult with the specialists.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX **

"This Slayer might really be everything what I was told she would be. Interesting! Let's see if she can deal with my next test." The hidden observer cackled, then withdrew quietly.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"I like detective novels," Willow said. "I mean, I love puzzles and they are basically puzzles masquerading as novels. I write down my guess before the murderer is revealed and I keep a record of the books I have read and my success rate with solving the cases. What? You think I am crazy, don't ya?"

Tara smiled "No, not at all. I think it's quirky, that's all. You h-have a systematic approach to most things. I like that. Me, I am too s-scatter-brained for that. I sometimes forget to even brush my teeth".

The last several days had been hectic, with her moving and all. Her mother had stayed for a week, making sure everything was okay, interrogating Mr. Giles about everything that had happened to him in the past twenty years, praising Willow magical prowess, telling Tara to be careful every five minutes, She had also managed to get very drunk when she had taken Ms. Calendar for a "girls night out". Mr. Giles's reaction could only be described as indescribable.

They were sitting on the couch in Ms. Calendar's apartment. She was at Mr. Giles's, as usual in the evenings. She had been simply wonderful, she treated Tara like a grown-up but still she was a teacher and had a way of making sure you think twice before breaking any of her (few) rules.

"I have done that too," Willow replied. "Obsessing too much over something is rarely of the good. Especially when it leads to falling asleep in the school library. Beds are the way to go, not desks and chairs."

"I like beds too," Tara laughed. For some reason she really felt at ease with her new friends. They had immediately accepted her as one of the gang, to her great relief. "So, W-willow, what's your success rate? With, you know, murder investigations? You don't have to t-tell me," she added quickly, seeing Willow's crestfallen expression.

"No, it's okay. It's just that those writers so often don't play fair," Willow grumbled. "Like that book where the clock at the scene of the crime is half an hour ahead, yet nobody bothers to notice that except the detective and so everyone thinks the time of the death is what that liar of a clock showed. Or when the detective uncovers a vital piece of evidence but doesn't share it with either the readers or his well meaning but stupid sidekick until the denouement. Hello, this isn't a roulette, I need all the relevant info! What's the fun in just making blind guesses? So my success rate is only 29.05 percent."

"But that's still good, right? And, you know, sometimes it's better to be wrong and marvel at the p-plot twist that makes you go all "Now everything fits into place" rather than "Are you kidding me? This is stupid. And dumb"."

"Oh, you like detective novels too? That's really cool. Xander and Buffy aren't really into reading that much. And yes, sometimes you gotta marvel and tell the writer "Well played, good sir or madam, well played". Still, I prefer solving the puzzle with my own little grey cells."

"I see you know your classics. Do you have _The A.B.C. Murders_?I have been meaning to read that for a while. But I also like to not read all the Poirot novels in a hurry because I know I will feel sad when I get through them all. If only there was a way to make you forget the contents of a book, so you can read it again and be surprised," Tara mused.

"Wait, what about memory altering spells? I am sure I have seen spells for removing unpleasant memories. Not that I would really use them for such frivolous purposes but still it would be nice if we could do something like that. Reading _The Judas Window _or_ The Murder of Roger Ackroyd _as if for the first time…"

"_The Judas Window_? That's an odd t-title."

"Oh, it's brilliant. Have you read anything by John Dickson Carr? No? You have no idea how much you are missing. But first, Christie. I haven't read _The A.B.C. Murders _either. What if we both read it, stop before the big reveal, and then discuss who the killer might be? I have always wanted to do that but only my Dad likes such books and he has read pretty much all the classics and doesn't want to read any new ones. We will need two copies, though. Or I can read it in one evening and then give it to you. Still, the anticipation will kill me, I just know it. I will probably call you every half an hour and demand you read faster," Willow laughed. "That saying – curiousity killed the cat? I am like the cat. Thankfully so far this kills me only metaphorically because otherwise I wouldn't be here and enjoying talking to you and making a fool of myself because of too much talking at once."

"No, no! I am a good l-listener. You can babble as much as you want. It's kind of cute, really. You have so m-many different thoughts and ideas and that's why you have a lot of things to say. And that collective reading thing sounds like so fun," Tara smiled, excited at having a hobby to share with Willow. "I did it a few times with m-my Mom but she got so mad because she never guessed right that she decided the whole genre must be one big fraud and to this day she thinks I am wasting my time with this d-diabolical scheme " Both girls laughed.

"Maybe we can create a Scooby book club. Or a general fiction club. Each week everyone chooses a book, movie or whatever, then we discuss it. It will be worth it just for the faces of Buffy, Xander and Cordelia when I pick some huge, boring volume for them to read," Willow giggled.

"It's hard enough to agree on which movie to w-watch together, but you are a master prodder, you might just convince them," Tara giggled too.

"We will see. Talking of movies, Buffy should be here soon. So let's think of a way of sabotaging Jenny's VCR before she forces us to watch _Die Hard_."

"No, it's okay. I have really n-never watched it, I didn't say that just so Buffy could have an excuse to torment you, you know."

"It's not _bad_, but I've seen it too any times," Willow sighed. "The things I do for my friends. And why does Buffy even likes it so much? You would think she would want something more relaxing because hello, Slayer. She says it's because she likes seeing good triumphing over evil but I think she just can't resist Bruce Willis's rugged charm. Oh well, if it gets really boring, we can start gossiping about boys. People always inflict that to me when I go to the cinema," she explained. "I kind of want to try it out, even if it's at home. Not that I actually have any boys to gossip about right now…"

Tara's heart skipped a few beats. This was the perfect opening. If only she weren't so shy…

"W-willow, there is s-something I n-need to tell you." _Stupid stutter!_ And then the phone rang. _Stupid phone!_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"I am fine, people. Really. Not well enough to attend school, thank you very much, but you know how that goes. Gotta make the most of a crappy situation." Xander grinned at his friends.

"It's a broken rib, Xander, you should be resting," Willow said.

"We are in school, Willow, that's what he usually does here," Cordelia added helpfully but her concerned look at Xander took the bite out of the words.

"He will be fine, as long as he doesn't try to ignore the injury, it will eventually heal on its own. Oh, and lots of deep breathing is recommended. Like this. " Willow demonstrated her marvelous breathing technique.

"Willow, please. I was there when the doctor said all that and much more on the subject. Heck, you were there too. Great breathing technique, though. You really can learn anything. Except driving."

"Yes, I was there but I checked in my books and the internet just to be sure. Do you know it's quite common that people don't realize it when one of their ribs is broken? And that in Ancient Greece,,,"

"Earth to Dr. Rosenberg – now might not be time to tell Xander all that. Let him, well, heal without knowing everything there is to know about ribs." Buffy intervened.

They were gathered in the library at the end of the first school day. In the bright daylight everything seemed like fun and games but it hadn't been so when they had called Cordy to tell her about Xander's injury. Hospitals weren't exactly her favourite place to visit, especially at night, and she liked thinking what might have happened if the vamps had prevailed even less. And the worst of it all – she couldn't even hug him! Maybe this could be a good excuse to gift him some new clothes. Just to make him feel better, of course.

"Giles, I think somebody must have planned the attack and probably wasn't among the attackers." Buffy announced.

"What makes you say that?" asked Giles. In the meantime Cordelia sat next to Xander and took his right hand into hers, caressing it lightly.

"Well, the vamps seemed like new-fangled ones. Not used to their strength, I mean. They don't usually form gangs or use crossbows for ambushes unless led by more experienced bad guys."

"M-maybe they were just stupid and thought shooting at p-people with a crossbow would be a fun way to hunt." Tara suggested.

"That's very much possible but it pays to prepare for the worst," Giles said. "And I have learned to trust Buffy's spider sense." He gave Buffy an affectionate look, then, as if forbidden by the Queen to show too much emotion, he started polishing his glasses. _Men!_

"But this isn't really getting us anywhere, is it? Even if someone planned all this how are we going to find them and show them what's the proper punishment for those who dare injure my boyfriend? Or your spider sense says where to look too?" Cordelia cut to the chase as usual.

"You don't need to yell at Buffy, honey. It's not her fault," Xander said, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "But I do like your attitude towards people who want to kill me", he whispered, so that the rest couldn't hear. _Doofus_.

"Buffy, you said that one of the vampires escaped, right," said Jenny. "We can find him and convince him to cooperate."

"C-convince? Like "torture" convince?" Tara asked in a small voice. Poor newbie.

"Yes, Tara. We hate doing it but it is to save lives, after all," Willow quickly intervened, probably anxious that her new spell buddy would think the Scoobies enjoyed torturing vampires and drowning puppies.

"I understand, really. I just wish there was another way."

"Maybe we could do a truth spell", Jenny said.

"Like that time when it went wrong and made us all describe our most embarrassing memories? This time you do it someplace where I am not, missy!" This time Cordelia nodded in agreement with Buffy.

"First, we need to find this runaway vamp. It will probably a waste of time to ascertain who he is as he won't be likely to stick around his old home or friends. But let's have Buffy look at the missing persons and the MBM death reports. Just in case." Giles said and left Willow and Jenny do their computer thing.

"MBM?" Tara asked.

"Mysterious Bite Marks. Not so mysterious to us, obviously, when they are neck wounds. Yes, It can be a bit overwhelming. All those deaths. So let's talk about something else. How was your first day at our glorious school?" Xander asked.

"It was okay. You know, l-learning how things go here and stuff. The creative writing teacher s-seems to know what he is talking about. And…and Cordelia kind of helped me with some of the m-more unfriendly people."

She sighed. Why did people get so melodramatic because of the smallest things? "I just told Harmony that with her 1980-s hair and 1967-ish jacket she was in no position to criticize anyone about their personal style. Yes, not even you, doofus." She went on to kiss Xander, reminding herself to be careful to not to hug him or press the left side of his chest. No tongue, just a promise of thing to come.

Tara was staring at her feet. Oh, God, those shrinking violets were going to be the death of her some day. Still, it was tough to dislike this girl. She was like one of those puppies who would follow you even if you kicked them. In other words, exactly the type of person Cordelia would have targeted with glee in her Alpha Bitch days. Nowadays…things were a lot different.

"You don't need to get all blushy about it. It's just a kiss. Come on, let's practice some self-defence. I know you are magic girl but sometimes it's fun to move those muscles. Xander, you watch and learn. Maybe next time you will kill the vampire with your first attack."


End file.
